Into the Arc-hive
by animegamer89
Summary: Before they have a chance to celebrate their success in defending Vale from the Breach, RWBY, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren find themselves in the Archive, a vast multiverse library complex. There they will watch their friend Jaune in a variety of situations. Set between V2 and V3. Inspired by JC of the Corn's "Endless Possibilities." Chapter(s) 40 and 41 are up. Slow updates.
1. The Archive

**After reading the "Endless Possibilities of Jaune Arc" and its reboot by** _ **JC of the Corn**_ **, as well as other stories that are inspired by it, I wanted to try my own spin on the reaction genre. I actually asked JC for permission for professional reasons, and he said to go ahead.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.**

 **Chapter 1 – The Archive**

The Breach, as it was being called on the news, had been stopped by the students of Beacon, and the Atlas Expeditionary Forces led by General Ironwood. Everyone was celebrating the victory, although there was one huntsman-in-training who was not: Jaune Arc.

It wasn't because he wasn't happy about the outcome. The city was safe, and only minor injuries were recorded among the casualties. His glum mood was the result of something else, petty as it might have been. His team and Team RWBY were discussing the number of Grimm they all took out in the defense of the city. All of his friends had taken out dozens, whereas he, only took out one and a half. One was an Ursa that took ten times more hits to kill than the one he killed in Forever Fall. The other was a boarbatusk he had on the ropes, before an Atlesian Knight Mk II gunned it down…

'I mean, I weakened it! That kill was half mine…' he thought glumly.

"…"

It was as depressing as it sounded, and it was why he was on the rooftop where Pyrrha and he trained and not with his friends getting ready to go out on the town. Jaune swore he'd come back after he answered the "phone call from home" he made up. He knew he should be heading back soon, but he just wanted a few more minutes in solitude.

"A full school year, and this is what I amount to…?"

Jaune knew that he was years behind everyone, and that he would have to really work at it to catch up. He believed that if he followed his great great grandfather Gerome's example, he would make it like he did. The man had only two years of formal training before the Great War began, but through sheer effort and dedication, Gerome Arc was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with other legendary huntsmen and huntresses who had trained their whole lives. He tried hard to follow his forebear's footsteps, he really did. His team and Ruby assured him he was improving, and he trusted them. However, today like all the classes of Ms. Goodwitch, reminded himself that it still wasn't enough to catch up to Ruby, Pyrrha, and the others.

What was he doing wrong…?

Did he really have no talent for this, like all those people back home would say when dad wasn't around?

"…"

Jaune sighed.

"What am I doing here…?"

Little did Jaune know that that lone question, and his ailing heart would attract the attention of a being long forgotten in Remnant.

xXxXx

Pyrrha, held up the scroll, and sighed. They were all ready to go out to that neighborhood diner that Nora and Ren found on their weekend stroll, to officially celebrate successfully holding back the Breach. Jaune though, wasn't with them. He said he got a call from home, and that he would be back soon after he took it. She had texted him twice though since then, and was now worried.

"Still no answer?" asked a young, gentle voice.

Pyrrha turned to see Ruby look at her with a worried expression, and matching ones from Nora and Ren.

"No… none," said Pyrrha sadly.

"What's taking so long?" asked Yang, "We're just about ready to go."

"Jaune hasn't come back yet," said Pyrrha.

"Maybe the call just ended, and he's on his way back," pointed out Weiss.

"Maybe…" sighed Pyrrha, though she was eased a little at Weiss' relatively kind words.

Despite the flat tone, the Mistrali champion marveled at the change of attitude in the heiress. In the final hour of the dance, Jaune approached Weiss and apologized for the unwanted flirting. He offered to start over, if she was interested, and she accepted the apology and offer he gave. While Weiss was still wary of him, much of the venom and hostility that was common in her past interactions were held back. They were far from friends, but it was a professional relationship, which was far better than a hostile one. It would also make Pyrrha's _eventual_ confession to Jaune that much easier, as there was no apparent competition in the way.

"Well, we could go ahead," suggested Blake, "We heard this place gets crowded at around seven, and we can save you guys a seat, or at least our spot in line."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Pyrrha before she, Nora, and Ren got to the door, "I have a feeling where Jaune might be, we'll get him and meet up with you there."

"Ok," said Ruby before she, and her team joined them at the door, "Call us when you're on your way guys."

They opened the door to the library and split up in… separate… RWBY and NPR gawked at their surroundings and were on edge.

"Uh… guys? How did we end up in the library?" asked Yang.

"I don't think this is the library," said Blake.

Pyrrha nodded in agreement. The shelves were far too high, as was the ceiling, and there wasn't a single computer terminal, or exit sign for that matter.

 _SLAM!_

The two teams looked back in the direction of the door they just left. Weiss went over to open it, only to reveal cleaning supply closet, and not Team RWBY's dorm.

"Ok, officially panicking," squeaked Nora.

Ren put a hand on Nora's shoulder, which helped his partner relax, but Pyrrha could see the tension and concern on his face. Also…

"Where is Jaune?" asked Pyrrha.

Everyone looked about. The gang minus Jaune was all here, but their lovable dorky knight was nowhere to be found.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha called out, thinking he was in the general area.

"Jaune!" called out Ruby, in an attempt to help.

No answer.

They checked their scrolls… no reception or signals anywhere.

Pyrrha started to panic now.

"Blake? What are you doing?" everyone heard Yang say.

They all turned to the faunus.

"Getting an idea of our surroundings," Blake replied.

In the corner of her eye she saw Blake hold one of the books from two piles in a divided bin. Actually, it looked like a book, but on closer inspection, it was a glass case with a sphere of energy within. Pyrrha glanced at the bins, and saw two plaques for each one. On one end were the words "To Be Archived," and on the other where Blake was, "Lower Levels."

"Blake, this is hardly the time for sightseeing," scolded Weiss, "We should focus on finding Jaune, figuring out where we are, and how to get back home."

"Weiss is right," seconded Ruby as Blake put the object down, "Blake do you think you could climb up and-"

" _There you are."_

"GYAAAH!" cried out Ruby.

They turned around and saw a figure rise from the floor. It wore hooded grey robes, and had a large book held close to its waist. They couldn't see the eyes, but the lower half of its face was exposed, and based on the jaw structure, it was a male. He also wasn't there a moment ago, either. They moved to arm themselves, but remembered they left their weapons in their dorms.

"Greetings," the newcomer whispered with an awkward wave.

They all lowered their stances when it was clear he wasn't going to attack. Ruby stepped forward to the person who arrived

"Um, hello," said Ruby, "Can you help us sir? Please? We're looking for our friend, and we need to get home."

"If by friend, you mean Mr. Arc, he's back at Beacon safe and sound."

"He is?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yes," replied the newcomer, "Him being here would be… very problematic."

"You make it sound like you know what brought us here," commented Weiss.

"I do, and in regards to getting you back home, I'm afraid I can't" replied the figure apologetically, "You are going to be staying here for some time yet."

"Says who," demanded Yang.

"Lord Aeon, Steward of the Multiverse."

They were all quiet.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" asked Weiss.

The man sighed.

"You are here at the behest of Lord Aeon, Steward of the Multiverse. This place is known as the Archive. It is a vast multiverse library complex that my lord, Aeon, oversees."

"Who's Aeon?" asked Ren.

"He is one of the stewards of time along with his brother, Lord Chronos. They are both powerful beings, who established the laws of time and space. Humans and faunus often referred to them and their peers as gods.

"Gods?" asked Pyrrha in awe.

"Indeed. In my lord's case, stewardship of the multiverse, and the numerous timelines within are his responsibility."

"When you say multiverse…" began Blake.

"Yes," said the man, "There are other universes and realities, each shaped by everyone's decisions, or inactions. In fact, were it not for Misses Schnee and Rose you would have peered into one, or rather a piece of one, without the proper safeguards on top of that."

Blake blinked in surprise.

'That glass box from earlier was another universe?' she thought.

"I'm finding this difficult to believe. Deities? Multiverses?" muttered Weiss.

If the figure could give a deadpan expression, he was doing his best.

"You come from a world where you each have superpowers to use against creatures of eternal darkness. You are seriously suggesting a multiverse is unrealistic?" asked the figure.

Well, when said like that…

"…He does have a point," said Nora, "So who are you stranger?"

"I am the archivist, for the archive of Jaune Arc," the figure replied with a bow, "My job for those who are wondering, is to make sure the multiple realities of Mr. Arc are in their proper places within the Archive."

"Proper places?" asked Yang.

"Well, we can't have universes bleed into one another now can we. How would you feel if you had two Jaunes in the same room, or sixteen?"

Weiss went even paler than she thought she could be, whereas Pyrrha was trying to keep her blush down. The others merely tried to wrap their heads around the chaos that would ensue.

"That sounds awesome!" squealed Nora.

Okay, almost all of the others.

"Oh, it would be entertaining," agreed the archivist, "Until you find out that one of them hates you for betraying him, or that another turned out as a psychotic madman due the circumstances of his life."

Suddenly, everyone sobered from their thoughts. Jaune betrayed by _them_ , or as a psychotic madman? They couldn't believe such things, even Weiss. But if there was a multiverse, could other versions of themselves actually betray their blonde, dorky friend? Could Jaune be a villain in another reality? It was a possibility, and that frightened them.

"So, why are we here?" asked Weiss.

"Ah, so the most important question comes to light at last," said the archivist, "You are here because Lord Aeon wishes you to be here. As for the purpose, I suppose it would be to watch your friend Mr. Arc across the various realities."

"To watch?"

"It's happened before in other archives governing other dimensions. This normally happens when Lord Aeon is bored, or if something concerning is happening," the archivist replied.

"Concerning?" asked Pyrrha with worry.

"Possibly, now follow me," said the man, as he gestured them to do so.

With little options, RWBY and NPR did as the archivist requested. They walked with the being in silence for a time before they entered an elevator in one of the corridors. When it ran up, Blake decided to break the ice.

"So… do you have a name?" she asked.

"AR-1029461820CHI," replied the archivist. They all stared at him, "You may refer to me as Archivist though."

"Well, Archivist is still a bit of a mouthful…" said Yang in thought, "Oh, the letters in your name! How about Archie for short?"

"Archie… I suppose that's easier," mused the archivist.

"Then Archie it is!" declared Ruby.

Suddenly the lights from the lamps in the ceiling weren't the only things to illuminate the elevator. The elevator shaft had turned into a clear tube with which to see the outside world, and they could not help but gasp. The sky was green, and there were towers jutting from a mega structure all around, as far as the eye could see.

"Each tower is a hub for a section of the Archive, and each one houses an archivist who tends to that section," said Archie.

"How big is this library?" asked Weiss.

"You could go from horizon to horizon, and still see the same sight from each elevator. As for the structure itself, it is still growing."

"How does you lord keep track of it all?" asked Ren.

"I don't know," said Archie, "He can though. Each decision canonicals such as yourselves make, or don't make, as well as those of all your spinoffs increases the number of volumes within the archive, and the size of megastructure as well. Despite this, if my lord wanted to view a reality, he would know which archive to go to as well as the section, shelf, and location on that shelf to find it. If one of my peers, or I haven't archived it yet, he would go to the bins similar to where Ms. Belladonna picked up one from earlier and pluck it within seconds. Trying to figure out how he does it is confusing at best, and maddening at worst."

"Canonicals?" asked Pyrrha, confused by what he called them.

"Above Lord Aeon is a supreme power that rules over all multiverses. This being has a… I suppose you could say an official record of an individual soul and its life. This is referred to by Archivists as a Canonical. In other words, _you all_ are the genuine article, as far as we archivists are concerned," explained Archie, "Any versions of yourselves you see in the coming viewings are what we refer to as a Spinoff. Spinoffs are versions of yourself that could have been if your circumstances, life choices, or even universe were different. Does that make sense to you all?"

"So basically, we're all real," said Ruby, who got an affirmative nod from Archie, "Good to know."

"Wonderful to know; I was about to have an identity crisis," said Ren.

They all were. It was a relief to know they were all their _real_ selves.

"We're here," said Archie before the elevator began to slow to a halt.

The doors opened to reveal the… Beacon Communal Lounge, compete with the large central couch and massive hanging television.

"This is the viewing station. The room's appearance is determined by who uses it, based on preference. Since you outnumber me, the room took into account what you collectively find comfortable for relaxation, or watching. A good thing, since this is where you will be in the foreseeable future."

"But what about home, we can't be here forever. Will we?" asked Ren.

"Worry not about such things," said Archie "We are in a pocket dimension that is out of sync with the multiverse. As soon as my lord is content you have seen enough, you will be sent back to your universe at the very second you stepped foot out the door of your dormitory."

"That's cool. What about food though?" asked Nora.

The Archivist opened a nearby door which led to a kitchen equipped with a minibar, pantry, refrigerator, and a stove top.

"Whenever you need a break, think about what you want to make or drink, and this room will provide you with the ingredients," explained Archie.

"Awesome!" crowed out Yang, "This is turning out to be more interesting than that dinner and a movie plan we had for tonight."

"I just wish there was a way Jaune could be here," said Pyrrha.

"He will be, we'll just be watching him from afar from the sound of it, like you do," said Yang.

"Yang!" scolded Blake.

Archie went to the TV of the viewing room, and tapped a pristine box beneath it

"What's that?" asked Ruby.

"The leisure room is where I unwind after a cycle's worth of work. This device is allows me to indulge in the leisurely activity of 'watching movies.' Granted, I could do so just by examining the archive volumes themselves, but this method is less taxing on my very being. Most importantly for you, it will allow mortals such as yourselves to view the archive in a manner your senses can handle. Had Ms. Belladonna attempted to view the universe she held in her hands earlier, her senses would have overloaded. Fortunately, that did not happen," explained the archivist.

"Does this device have a name?" asked Weiss, intrigued by the object.

"A Volume Harmonizer for Senses," he declared, "Though you may refer to it as VHS for short."

They were all in awe of the highly advanced device.

The Archivist synced the device with the screen, and went to a container similar to the one that Blake and gone through earlier. Next to it was a return slot just like the libraries back home.

"Randomize," he said.

Suddenly, a massive pile of volumes filled the bin.

"Now then, shall we begin?" asked Archie.

 **A/N: So this is the first chapter. A bit of an info dump, but I wanted to world build to set up how the viewing process would be arranged. Furthermore, there will be intermissions in the future where the gang gets to take a break, and reflect on what they see.**

 **The Archive itself is based off of two memorable libraries in pop-culture. The first library from The Library in** _ **Doctor Who**_ **Season 4 of the new series, a giant planet that is one whole library complex. The second library I drew inspiration from, as well as the nature of the volumes within, comes from the classic kid's movie** _ **The Pagemaster**_ **. It was one of my favorite movies growing up as a kid in the 90's so this story, and the way they portrayed how stories could come to life, will be a little homage to it.**

 **The content the characters react to will be in the disclaimers.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Aeon and Chronos are classical Greek deities that presided over time. Chronos represented linear time: beginning, middle, and an end. Aeon, by contrast, represented time as a cycle. There is a start, and an end, but the end merely marks the beginning of a new cycle. I will be taking a lot of liberties with Aeon in this story.**


	2. Les Miserables

**So here's the first reaction, and for this I wanted to make an impression. In all of the reaction stories I've come across, I've never once seen a musical used, and I hope this chapter works out. Long disclaimer for this one; I hope I wrote it right.**

 **Warning: This chapter may trigger feels.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Les Miserables**_ **(1862) was written by French author Victor Hugo, and the 2012 movie is the property of Universal Studios. Written portions not found in the movie are from, or inspired by clips of** _ **Les Miserables: The Dream Cast in Concert**_ **(1995) at the Royal Albert Hall.**

Chapter 2 – The Miserable

RWBY and NPR took their seats on the massive couch the room had conjured as they entered. The teens all had popcorn and candy with soda pop, save Weiss who opted for sparkling water, from the magical kitchen. Archie got a volume from the bin, and placed it on top of the VHS.

"I wonder what we're going to see," whispered Ruby as the lights dimmed.

"Hopefully it's something awesome," said Nora.

"I'm sure it will be interesting," added Pyrrha.

"Oh, I'm sure," teased Yang.

Weiss, Blake and Ren shushed them as the lights went down.

 **The noise from the screen was coming from drums. Judging by the sound and rhythm it sounded like a military march. The music picked up slowly until suddenly a crash of horns, strings, and drums erupted. The screen depicted a stormy sky and what looked like a ship mast. There was a flag of blue, white, and red upon it, and there were other ships in the background. As the mist and clouds of the storm began to clear, the scene revealed a massive ship yard filled with naval galleons.**

"I've only seen ships like those in history books," said Ren.

"Check out that one," commented Yang, pointing at the really big one that the screen shot was focusing on.

"That's a Man-of-War," commented Pyrrha, "It earned its name from the three rows of 50 guns on each broadside. There's a replica of one in Mistral, and it showcased our kingdom's naval prowess from before.

 **The Man-of-War was being pulled into dry dock by what looked like dock workers, human and faunus, all standing in the surf. They were all shivering from the seawater and screaming from the sheer effort of having to haul in the massive vessel.**

"That looks brutal," commented Blake.

"It's dangerous," corrected Weiss, "If they lose their footing, or if the surf is too strong, they could be swept out to sea."

Suddenly the sound of a jingle caught their attention, and as the scene played out, the teens saw that every one of the dock workers were in chains. They were all prisoners, but one in particular caught their attention, namely, his sharp blue eyes.

"Jaune?" everyone gasped.

He was older with his hair buzzed off, and he had a bushy blonde beard as well. What gave them a chill though was the sheer anger and hatred in his eyes.

"He's in a chain gang…" commented Yang.

"He's a criminal?" balked Weiss.

Sure he forged his way into Beacon, but still, the Jaune they knew would never do something to warrant being forced into hard labor. What of this one, though?

 **Jaune looked up to see a guard in full uniform that looked down at them from the safety of the docks, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. Cobalt eyes met blood red, and both held naught but contempt for one another. The guard with his wooden switch, jet black hair, scruffy beard, and sharp gaze made for quite the image.**

Ruby and Yang immediately knew who the guard was.

"Uncle Qrow?!" they both cried out.

"Wait, that's your uncle?" asked Pyrrha, who still couldn't believe her crush was a criminal.

 **Qrow flicked his switch and aggressively gestured to the warship. Jaune pulled his rope with his fellow inmates, and took a breath.**

 _ **Look down, look down, don't look them in the eye;**_

 _ **Look down, look down, you're here until you die.**_

"…Is this a musical?" asked Blake.

"A pretty grim one if it is," added Ren.

"Or it could just be a prison song," offered Ruby, "They sing in some of the movies dad watches."

 **Indeed, the criminals, human and faunus alike, began to add to the song as the music played:**

 _ **No god above, and hell alone below;**_

 _ **Look down, look down, there's twenty years to go.**_

 _ **I've done no wrong, sweet Jesus hear my prayer;**_

 _ **Look down, look down, sweet Jesus doesn't care.**_

 _ **I know she'll wait, I know that she'll be true;**_

 _ **Look down, look down, they've all forgotten you.**_

 _ **When I get free, you won't see me, here for dust, HAH!**_

 _ **Look down, look down, you'll always be a slave;**_

 _ **Look down, look down, you're standing in your grave.**_

 **Eventually, the ship was hauled in, and the dry dock sealed. After the water drained, Jaune and the other prisoners were being led into a tunnel at the end of the dry dock, when Jaune was stopped by Qrow with his wooden switch. Qrow gestured to a muddly flag on a broken piece of the ship's mast.**

" **Retrieve the flag," Qrow ordered.**

 **Jaune headed back, and while another prisoner moved to help Jaune, Qrow stopped him. Jaune stood over the three-color cloth, and turned to see no one to help. Qrow's uncaring eyes stared at him, and Jaune crouched down, slid his hands under the broken mast, and pulled. After considerable effort, he hoisted up mast over his shoulder, and dragged the flag slowly to Qrow before he unceremoniously dropped it onto the ground.**

"Crap, it must have taken years for Jaune to bulk up enough to the point he could lift and drag part of ship's mast," whistled Yang.

"Years of hard labor implies he committed a serious crime," said Weiss.

" _ **Now prisoner 24601, you're time is and your parole's begun. You know what that means?"**_ **sang Qrow.**

Yang and Ruby burst out laughing.

"Uncle Qrow is singing?" cried out Ruby in disbelief.

"He sucks!" added Yang.

"Shh, you're ruining it," scolded Weiss.

"… **Yes, it means I'm free," sighed out Jaune in bliss.**

" **No," grunted Qrow before singing again,** _ **"Follow to the letter your itinerary. This badge of shame you'll show until you die. It warns you're a dangerous man!"**_

" _ **I stole a loaf of bread,"**_ **growled Jaune lyrically.**

"…What?" said Pyrrha in disbelief.

She wasn't the only one stunned, as the rest of them tried to process what they heard was Jaune's crime.

" _ **My sister's child was close to death,"**_ **continued Jaune,** _ **"We were starving-"**_

" _ **You will starve again, unless you learn the meaning of the law!"**_ **interrupted Qrow.**

" _ **I know the meaning of those nineteen years, a slaaave of the law,"**_ **answered Jaune bitterly.**

 **Qrow looked incensed by Jaune's words.**

" _ **Five years for what you did, the rest because you tried to run,"**_ **retorted Qrow,** _ **"Yes 24601."**_

" _ **My name is Jaune d'Arc,"**_ **Jaune reminded defiantly.**

" _ **And I'm Branwen. Do not forget my name; do not forget me, 24601."**_

 **Jaune took his papers, and walked away with disdain for his warden.**

 _ **Look down, look down, you'll always be a slave,**_

 _ **Look down, look down, you're standing in your grave…**_

"Nineteen years of hard labor, and imprisonment… for basically shoplifting?" questioned Blake.

"Even if he tried to run, such punitive measures were excessive!" cried out Weiss.

"What happened to Jaune's family though?" asked Nora.

"If this society is as harsh as the opening implied, his family may not even be around," said Ren.

"He's free now though. He has a chance to rebuild his life now that the shackles are gone," said Pyrrha in an attempt to reassure her teammates.

Yang wanted to say something, but didn't want to ruin Pyrrha's hopes either. There was still more to see from the looks of it, and that would prove if she was right to be wary or not.

 **The next scene showed Jaune walking through the countryside, with a cloak over ragged clothes and a walking stick at hand. There was a sack over his shoulder, and he stopped at the top of a hillside, with a cross held up by a pile of stones overlooking the horizon. He cleaned up a little, but the anger and bitterness from his time in prison was clear as day. For the moment though he closed his eyes to breath fresh air.**

" _ **Freedom at last, how strange it is,"**_ **he began,** _ **"Never forget the years, the waste. Nor forgive them, for what they have done. They are the guilty, every one! The day begins, now let's see what this new world will do for me."**_

"Is this whole thing in verse? I can't imagine everyday speech being a song," commented Weiss.

"It's not all in verse," said Ruby.

"Given how little of normal dialogue there is, it may as well be," the heiress ranted.

 **Jaune looked at the coins in his hand. He knew the wage, and the hours he worked under the blistering sun, yet he was paid half of what the other people earned. He was about to argue with the farmer, a red headed woman with green eyes, but her scathing glance silenced him though. He scoffed and moved on.**

"That's me," whispered Pyrrha, stunned at her resemblance to the farmer.

"You short-changed him?" asked Blake.

"I wouldn't!" Pyrrha protested.

" _You_ wouldn't, but this alternate version of you has never met Jaune, let alone knows him the way you do," said Weiss.

Weiss' words did little to remove the pain she felt.

 **Jaune showed his papers to a woman wearing white, who sneered at him, signed the paper and stamped it.**

" **Next town, don't be late," she sniped.**

Weiss blinked. The attire, the hair, and even the scar… She held her tongue, though she did feel slightly uncomfortable as everyone stared at her now.

"Alternate universe," Weiss reminded everyone, especially herself.

 **The next town came by, and Jaune was being pelted with stones by three little girls. One had black hair and cat ears, another had long blonde hair, and the last was a girl with black hair with red tips at the end of her locks.**

"What?!" cried out Ruby.

Yang put a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Not you. Remember, that's not you," reassured Yang as Ruby started to sniffle.

Blake struggled to watch this part as it reminded her of a time from her youth. She remembered growing up a gang beating up a faunus. She was too young to do anything, so she got help. When it arrived, and they got back to the person being hurt, it was too late. Few things made her cry as hard as she did after that incident. To see another version of herself doing to something similar to what that gang did… She took a breath to regain control of herself.

 **Jaune was about to retaliate, but saw the adults suddenly move in. Those children must have found out about him from them. Instead, he hissed, and stalked away.**

"So, why are we picking on Jaune in this universe?" asked Nora, confused and hurt.

"Because he's a parolee. They don't always acclimate to society after their sentencing. I figured this would happen," commented Yang.

"How so?" asked Weiss.

"The cousin of a friend of mine at Signal dated a boy who was sent to Juvie. The guy tried to readjust, but his record just followed him. He was lucky though when my friend's dad decided to give him a shot. He's doing ok from what I heard, and they think he could have a future at the company he works at."

"He's fortunate, it seems," said Pyrrha.

"He is," Yang replied.

 **Jaune was shivering in the cold of night when a hand touched him. Jaune jolted awake, ready to defend himself from… an elderly gentleman with a respectable moustache, and a lantern.**

"Professor Port?" everyone said.

 **Jaune saw that the man wore the robes of a bishop. The bishop offered Jaune a kind smile, and the grim tone of the music changed to a hopeful one. Port then began to sing:**

 _ **Come in sir for you are weary,**_

 _ **And the night is cold out here.**_

 _ **Although our lives are very humble,**_

 _ **What we have, we have to share.**_

 **Port opened the door for Jaune, who entered. When he saw the fireplace, he rushed to warm himself. Two housekeepers who looked like Ren and Nora had concerned looks on their faces. Port continued to sing:**

 _ **There is wine here to revive you,**_

 _ **There is bread to make you strong.**_

 _ **There's a bed to rest till morning,**_

 _ **Rest from pain and rest from wrong.**_

Pyrrha sighed in relief, as did Nora and Ren, despite being sad they were now on the list of people unkind to their leader. RWBY was also really happy, glad there was at least one person so far who didn't treat Jaune like dirt.

They all decided that from now on, they would try to stay awake in Port's class instead of goofing off, or sleeping.

 **Jaune ate a nice, hot meal of soup, bread, and wine. As he did, Port put his fingers to his head, then his heart, and finally to both of his shoulders, as though to make a cross with his hand gestures.**

" **Bless the food we eat today, bless our dear sister, and our honored guest," prayed Port solemnly before eating his own meal. Jaune looked up briefly and continued to eat. Ren and Nora clearly had reservations with a former criminal eating at their master's table, but it was not their place to question Bishop Port.**

 **After the meal, Ren escorted Jaune to his room, but Jaune took note of where the silverware was kept.**

"…No," whispered Pyrrha.

"Please tell me he's not going to…" said Blake.

 **In the dead of night, Jaune gave in to temptation. He went to where the silver was kept, and opened the cabinet. The silverware was there, as well as other silver finery. Humble life indeed. Jaune silently stuffed as much of it into his rucksack, and went off into the dead of night.**

"…Why?" asked Ruby, "Professor Port was so kind to him. Why would he do that?"

"They say prison changes people," said Ren, in a weak attempt to reason Jaune's actions.

"That's no excuse!" declared Weiss, "Jaune could have chosen to ignore wrongdoing, and rise above his condition. Instead, he slaps the hand that fed him, and proves what all our other selves saw or feared: once a thief, always a thief."

As much as it pained them all, Weiss had a point. Pyrrha was perhaps the most hurt and disappointed by what this version of her partner did. Jaune always tried to do right by others. This man though… he was so foreign to her.

"Is that CRDL?" asked Nora suddenly, and they all returned their attention to the screen.

 **Cardin, and his team, were dressed in military uniforms. They had Jaune in chains, with the sack of silver being held by Cardin himself. The music played up again, this time it was frantic and dark.**

" **Get in there! Put him down!" growled Russel.**

 **Jaune was dropped to the ground, and whacked in the back of his skull by one of them.**

Despite their disappointment in their friend's alternate self, they winced at the audible sound of the wood on his skull.

 **The Bishop walked over to see the commotion. Beginning with Cardin, the team began to mock and berate:**

 _ **Tell his reverence your story,**_

 _ **Let us see if he's impressed!**_

 _ **You were lodging here last night,**_

 _ **You were the honest bishop's guest!**_

 _ **And then out of Christian goodness,**_

 _ **When he learned about your plight,**_

 _ **You maintained he made a present of this silver**_

" **That is right," Port said almost jovially.**

 **Jaune, CRDL, and Ren and Nora were stunned by Port's words. Port leaned in to give Jaune a knowing look.**

"Wait, what?" asked Blake.

"Jaune's not… huh?" stuttered Ruby in disbelief.

"I'm not sure what Port's on about. Jaune stole from him," said Weiss, stunned.

Pyrrha and the others leaned in with interest as Port began to sing:

 _ **But my friend, you left so early,**_

 _ **Surely something slipped your mind.**_

 _ **You forgot I gave these also,**_

 _ **Would you leave the best behind?**_

 **Port gave Jaune two solid silver candlesticks, each as long as his arms. Jaune took them dumbly, as he tried to figure out what was going on.**

"He's giving him more silver?" Blake balked.

" **Monsieur, you may release him," said Port with a straight face, "This man has spoken true."**

 _ **I commend you for your duty,**_

 _ **Now God's blessing go with you.**_

 **Port made the same cross gesture to Cardin, and his team with sincerity. The team of four nodded, unchained Jaune, and left him. After a moment, Port turned to Jaune, a solemn look on his face.**

 _ **But remember this my brother,**_

 _ **See in this some higher plan.**_

 _ **You must use this precious silver**_

 _ **To become an honest man.**_

 **Port knelt before Jaune, and took him by the arms. Jaune looked away in shame.**

 _ **By the witness of the martyrs,**_

 _ **By the Passion and the blood,**_

 **Port lifted up Jaune to his feet.**

 _ **God has raised you out of darkness;**_

 _ **I have saved your soul for God.**_

 **Port gave Jaune a blessing before he left to tend to his duties.**

"…Talk about a close one," said Yang, "Port is pretty forgiving in this universe."

"Not just forgiving, but… generous?" suggested Pyrrha, "Despite the theft, Port gave more silver, and wanted Jaune to start anew. How can a man do such a thing?"

"Maybe it's because of the religion?" suggested Nora, "Maybe forgiveness and generosity are part of it, and he's setting a good example. I remember the word 'bishop' as a high-ranking religious title in this book about pre-war life."

"No offense, but that's not the kind of book I thought you would read," said Weiss.

"It was for Oobleck's history class. I just came across the info, and kept reading," said Nora.

They all hummed in thought.

"You think this universe's Jaune learned his lesson?" asked Weiss.

"He has to have," said Ruby.

The little reaper, and Jaune's teammates hoped so. They couldn't bear the thought of Jaune doing more bad things. Blake though was the quietest; the words and actions of Bishop Port stirred something within her.

 **Jaune went off to the side, and sat on a stone slab in the back of the church. He stared at his parole papers in thought, and did something that he thought he would never do again: he approached a stone altar, and knelt. He took a breath, and whispered:**

 _ **What have I done sweet Jesus, what have I done?**_

 _ **Become a thief in the night; become a dog on the run?**_

 _ **Have I fallen so far, and is the hour so late,**_

 _ **That nothing remains but the cry of my hate.**_

 _ **The cries in the dark that nobody hears,**_

 _ **Here where I stand at the turning of the years.**_

 **Jaune stood; his voice rose with his height.**

 _ **If there's another way to go,**_

 _ **...I missed it twenty long years ago!**_

 _ **My life was a war that could never be won,**_

 _ **They gave me a number and they murdered young Jaune!**_

 _ **When the chained me and left me for dead,**_

 _ **Just for stealing a mouthful of bread.**_

 **Jaune took a breath.**

 _ **Yet, why did I allow this man,**_

 _ **To touch my soul, and teach me love.**_

 _ **He treated me like any other.**_

 _ **He gave his trust, he called me brother.**_

 _ **My life he claims for God, above!**_

 _ **Can such things be?**_

 _ **For I have come to hate the world;**_

 _ **This world that always hated me.**_

 **Jaune turned angry again, and backed away from the altar.**

 _ **Take an eye for an eye!**_

 _ **Turn your heart into stone!**_

 _ **This is all I have lived for!**_

 _ **This is all I have known!**_

 **Jaune slowed his pace, gripping his head with one hand, and his parole papers on the other. Worry crossed his face, as the glint of tears began to appear.**

 _ **One word from him, and I'd be back.**_

 _ **Beneath the lash upon the rack.**_

 _ **Instead, he offers me my freedom,**_

 _ **I feel my shame inside me like a knife.**_

 **Jaune went to the altar again, tears streamed down his face as he did.**

 _ **He told me that I have a soul!**_

 _ **How does he know?**_

 _ **What spirit comes to move my life?**_

 **Jaune knelt before the altar again crying, looking up for some kind of response, or sign, or anything at all.**

 _ **Is there another way to go?**_

 **The music took a dim turn.**

 _ **I am reaching, but I fall,**_

 _ **And the night is closing in.**_

 _ **As I stare into the void,**_

 _ **To the whirlpool of my sin…**_

 **Jaune rose to his feet, an expression of resolve upon his face. He turned from the altar toward the door, and walked without hesitation.**

 _ **I'll escape now from that world.**_

 _ **From the world of Jaune d'Arc.**_

 _ **Jaune d'Arc is nothing now!**_

 _ **Another story must begiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!**_

 **Jaune tore up his parole papers with each step, and cast it over the cliff that the church overlooked. He stared into the horizon, confident he would abandon the shackles of his old life, and walk into a brighter future. He would make a new life, as the bishop suggested. It would be one he would be proud of. This he swore to God, and himself.**

At last the scene ended, and everyone was stunned silent. No one said anything during the soliloquy they just heard, for fear of missing anything. The words were powerful, and the song touched them all in some way.

Pyrrha cleared her throat, "That was-"

" _Hic… hu… hu…"_

Everyone turned to see that interruption had come from Blake.

Streams of tears flowed like a waterfall from the faunus' eyes. Her lips trembled, as she placed a hand over her mouth to conceal her expression, but it wasn't working. She choked on a sob when Yang went to her side and rubbed her hands upon her back. She started to cry in earnest, which made Yang move and wrap her arms around her partner.

"I got you partner," said Yang comfortingly, "You ok?"

"T-That song w-was…" she cried.

"I never thought a song would bring _you_ to tears," said Yang.

"I'm… I'm s-sorry," said Blake, "I-It's just… I s-sometimes feel… like that. That I'm trying to g-get away from who I was, but I'll misstep, and I'll... I'll…"

Blake couldn't finish as another wave of tears erupted. This time her whole team came to her side, and wrapped their arms around her. Blake couldn't control her bawling, and the hug got tighter.

"We're here for you Blake," said Ruby, "Whenever you feel lost, we'll be there for you."

Blake's cries began to die down a little as she relaxed in the group embrace

"You mean it?" the faunus asked.

"We do. You're not t-that person anymore," sniffled Weiss, "Y-You showed me, a _Schnee_ , that."

"Still, will anything I do ever be enough to make up for my past. C-Can _I_ find redemption?"

"The Jaune in that universe seemed determined to do so," voiced Pyrrha, in better control of her own tears, "Y-You know him. When he d-decides to go for something, he'll go f-for it. If he can do it, so can you."

Pyrrha said the words with such pride and conviction, that Blake felt more at ease. She returned her team's embrace, and RWBY all shed tears together, comforting one another. Pyrrha smiled at the sight, and turned the screen. Jaune's eyes were filled with hope once more, and for the first time since the scene started, she felt as though she was seeing her partner.

'He'll do fine. Come what may,' she thought, tears of joy escaping.

Off to the side, Archie removed the volume as soon as Pyrrha looked away and went to comfort Nora, who also started to release tears of joy. Seeing them like this, he decided to give them a moment, and seek out something a little less dramatic for next time.

 **A/N:**

 **This was tricky to write, but not because of the songs. It was because I started to cry in the middle of writing it, and even more during the proofreading. I am not afraid to admit Les Miserables made me cry when I first watched it, and every other time afterward. It is just such a wonderful story of redemption, and forgiveness.**

 **I mentioned that I noticed the other reaction writers didn't incorporate musicals, and after writing this, I think I know why. Trying to shift between the song and regular dialogue can get tricky, especially when you also try to write in the actions the character performs while singing. I hope you guys liked my attempt to try to do so, because there is another musical I want to use for a future chapter.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Teams RWBY and NPR were antagonists to Jaune in this because of one of the things I noticed in the movie. That sometimes the harshest people are those who perceive themselves as righteous. This was also seen in some of the clips of the original musical.**

 **Furthermore, parts from the actual musical were incorporated into this. Like all adaptations, the movie actually cut out a lot of content from the book, songs, and play for the sake of time, so I went digging on YouTube for any relevant content for this chapter. Look it up too, so you can read along with the music and singing; sources are in the disclaimer at the start of the chapter.**

 **I hope you liked this, and please review.**


	3. A Knight's Tale: Changing One's Stars

**So it's great that the** _ **Les Miserables**_ **reaction was very well received. But for the two days after I published it, I asked myself, "How the hell am I going to follow up on that?!"**

 **The conclusion I came to was simple: Make chapters that are interesting and/or enjoyable.**

 **So, here we are at the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **A Knight's Tale**_ **is the property of Columbia Pictures.**

Chapter 03 – Changing One's Stars

"Feeling better?" asked Archie.

The audience had finally calmed down from the emotional roller coaster, but their eyes were still puffy and there was the occasional hiccup and sob. Even Ren sported a small sniffle.

"I think we've got it under control," said Pyrrha.

"I can conjure tissues, if you like," suggested Archie.

"We're good," said Blake, a little nasally from all her sniffling.

"Well, I think after all that, we could see something with a touch of action. It'll take your minds off of what you just saw," said Archie.

"Will this one have music in it too?" asked Weiss, a little wary.

"You mean you've never woken up one morning, and thought to yourself, 'This song describes my day,' at all?" asked Archie.

Weiss looked away almost sheepishly.

"I thought so," said Archie, "But to answer your question, not all of these will have people break out into song."

Weiss was relieved to hear it. She like musical theatre, but not back to back.

"Out of curiosity," began Ruby, "Does… does that Jaune do better?"

"Perhaps you'll find out later on, for now, let's watch.

Archie set up another volume, and the light's dimmed…

 _ **In medieval times a sport arose. Embraced by noble and peasant fans alike though only noble knights could compete. The sport was jousting. For one of these knights, an over-the-hill former champion, it was the end. But for his peasant squire Jaune, it was merely the beginning…**_

"Ooh, a prologue," said Nora.

"Jaune is a squire?" commented Weiss, "That's quite a respectable position given his status in this time period."

"It's better than what he was last time," said Pyrrha.

They all nodded.

 **The sound and presence of flies could be heard around a breathless knight slumped against a tree.**

"Is that guy dead?" Blake asked despite having a strong feeling what the answer was.

" **Should we help him?" a calm, familiar voice asked.**

 **Ren and Jaune were there, with simple baggy clothes as they looked at the body. Jaune had cloths in his nose to keep the scent at bay, and a scuffy beard as well. Ren had a respectable amount of stubble himself.**

"You guys should grow facial hair. You wouldn't look half bad," said Yang.

Ren shrugged. He had considered it in the past, but it reminded him too much of his father... which made him think about the Grimm attack on his home. He took a moment to regain himself lest he start to shed tears.

" **He has to be in the lists in two minutes. Two minutes or forfeit," said Jaune.**

 **Ren held his hands out.**

" **Lend me those," he said, and Jaune handed him the cloths stuck in his nose.**

" **Right. Left," Jaune said, and Ren put them into the corresponding nostrils.**

Ren made a gag noise.

"Ugh, disgusting!" said Weiss.

"Meh, not the worst thing I've seen boys do," threw in Yang.

 **Ren checked the body… sighed, and lowered the visor.**

" **Dead." He said.**

" **Eh?" asked Jaune.**

A new figure arrived, and Blake blinked in surprise.

 **Sun Wukong, also sporting short beard, was in clothes similar to Jaune and Ren, and he had an excited look on his face.**

"Hey Blake, it's your boyfriend," said Yang.

"He's not my boyfriend," said Blake for what must have felt like the hundredth time since the dance, "He's a friend, who just so happens to be a boy."

Blake did blush at the thought… out of embarrassment of course.

"Of course, my mistake," said Yang, who feigned the shock of her error.

Blake flicked a popcorn piece at her partner, who simply swallowed it.

" **Three scores to none after two lances," cheered Sun, "All Sir Branwen need's do is not fall off his horse, and we've won."**

 **Sun caught the smell after a moment, covered his face to hide his gag, and turned to the source.**

"Wait, Uncle Qrow is dead?" gasped Ruby, "No!"

Yang put a hand on her sister's shoulder, and tried to soothe her.

"Other universe sis," reminded Yang, which helped her sister relax.

Still, the sight of Uncle Qrow dead did unsettle her.

'Gotta try to get Qrow to stop drinking too much,' she thought.

" **He's dead," said Ren**

"… **What do you mean?" said Sun.**

" **The spark of his life is smothered in shite," said Ren.**

Everyone blinked, before Nora burst out laughing. Soon everyone followed suit, except Ren.

"Ren swore! He n-never swears!" Nora declared.

"Wow, I think this is closest thing we'll ever get to seeing Ren curse," chuckled Yang, "Too bad it's so old-fashioned, it's more comical than shocking."

Ren sighed, but Pyrrha patted his shoulder, despite her own mirthful smile.

 **Sun was still dumbfounded by what Ren said to come up with a response.**

" **His spirit is gone, but his stench remains, does that answer your question?" Ren tried to explain again.**

" **No, no, no. No, he sleeps. Rouse him," denied Sun as he approached the body.**

 **Sun got a better look, and fear became apparent.**

" **We're minutes from victory, I haven't eaten in three days," he said in a panicked voice.**

" **None of us have, Sun!" snapped Jaune.**

" **We need to fetch a priest," said Ren.**

" **No, he's not dead!" said Sun, as though saying it over and over would somehow make it true.**

 **Sun went to the knight's body.**

" **You wake up! Come on!" he rattled a pauldron, tapped on the helm, "Come on!" Sun shook the arm.**

 **No response, and Sun finally snapped. He kicked the body, and Jaune and Ren rolled their eyes.**

" **You manky git!" Sun screamed, and went into a tirade of every little complaint he ever had toward his now dead master.**

"Wait, they're squires. How can they be hungry?" asked Yang, "Aren't knights nobleman?"

"Technically yes, but among knights there's a hierarchy," said Weiss, "Landed nobles are the ones with wealth. Jaune and his friends must be serving a hedge knight; they hold a title, but no land. Their primary sources of income would be either tournaments for the prizes and to impress a lord to hire them, or through mercenary work.

"How do you that kind of stuff?" asked Ruby, in awe, "I read about knights, but this is new info for me."

"The Schnee were once a noble family of Mantle. After the Great War, we lost our title and money. My grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, rebuilt the family fortune through our mines however, and now we're one of the most respected and envied families in Atlas," said Weiss, "Knowing our family history, and the context of it all was very important to my education as heiress."

 **As Sun vented at the corpse of his late master, Jaune noticed one of the attendants of Lord Oobleck, a rabbit faunus, approached them atop a horse.**

"Velvet?" said Blake in surprise.

"Lord Oobleck?" questioned Ruby.

" **Ren," Jaune said, getting his friend's attention.**

" **Squire," Velvet began, "Sir Branwen is to report at once, or forfeit the match."**

" **Well he's-"**

" **He's on his way," interrupted Jaune.**

 **Ren looked to him with a shocked expression. Velvet noticed Sun in the background, but Jaune leaned to the side to cover the sight while he gave a reassuring smile. The rider merely shrugged, and rode off. Ren waited with a pointed expression.**

" **I'll ride in his place," Juane said.**

 **Ren had a look of horror, but Jaune turned before he could say anything.**

" **Strip his armor. I'm riding in his place," said Jaune before he got to Sun, "Sun, stop kicking him, calm down! I'm riding in his place. Help me. Please."**

"A squire riding in for an experienced knight?" commented Blake, "This could end either really well, or really bad."

Pyrrha gulped as everyone leaned forward with anticipation.

 **Jaune knelt before the corpse, and worked to undo the armor with Sun. Ren just put his hands on his hips.**

" **What's your name Jaune?" Ren asked.**

 **No response or attention from the blonde.**

 **Ren sighed.**

" **I'm asking you,** _ **Jaune Arc**_ **, to answer me with your name."**

 **Jaune flashed Ren an irritated look before getting back to work.**

" **It's not** _ **Sir**_ **Jaune, it's not** _ **Count**_ **, or** _ **Duke**_ **, or** _ **Earl**_ **Jaune, and it's certainly not** _ **King**_ **Jaune," Ren pointed out, and made sure to emphasize each of the titles.**

" **I'm aware of that," Jaune growled.**

" **You have to be of noble birth to compete!"**

" **A detail," dismissed Jaune, "The landscape is food. Do you want to eat, or don't you?"**

 **Ren's stomach growled at the prospect of food, and reason relented to need.**

" **If the nobles find out who you are, there'll be the devil to pay."**

" **Then pray that they don't," Jaune said with a smirk.**

"The Jaune in the previous viewing, now this? I hope we never find ourselves in a situation where we're hungry enough to do crazy things like this," commented Weiss.

Everyone silently agreed.

 **The tournament grounds were filled with knights in armor. The audience was clapping, beating on their seats, and cheering.**

"This takes me back to my time in the Mistral tournaments," said Pyrrha nostalgically.

"That's right, you used to do this kind of thing," said Yang, "Why did you leave?"

"I liked the competition. When no one wanted to even try to fight me… it wasn't as enjoyable, petty as it sounds. Also, I couldn't go ten feet out of my house without being mobbed by a crowd of fans. Then there's the stalkers…" Pyrrha shivered.

"That must have creeped you out," said Blake.

"It was," said Pyrrha, "One that really creeped me out was this guy who claimed I was destined to be with him. He sent a letter with an engagement ring made from his hair."

Everyone cringed.

"There was an arrest made by the police unit that managed security in the Mistral stadium shortly afterward. DNA showed it was the same guy, and that he tried to… meet with me after the tournament. He's behind bars now, and will stay there for quite some time, as I understand it," said Pyrrha.

"Suddenly Sun just asking to hang out with me out every other day doesn't sound quite so bad," muttered Blake under her breath.

 **Jaune finally arrived in full armor atop Sir Branwen's steed, though Ren reminded him to lower the visor and hide his face. The courtiers of Lord Oobleck blew their trumpets, and the audience quieted.**

" **The score stands at three lances to none in favor of Sir Branwen," said Velvet, "Lord Stihl of Mantle, stand ye ready?"**

 **The knight raised his lance in affirmation, and Velvet nodded.**

" **Sir Branwen, stand ye ready?"**

 **Jaune raised his lance.**

" **Ready?" asked Sun.**

" **Of course, I have tilted against Sir Branwen many times, you know," said Jaune.**

" **In practice as his target. You never had to strike him," corrected Sun.**

" **Badger me not with details," said Jaune.**

Yang whistled.

"Pretty ballsy, going in headfirst like that. I like this Jaune, hmm… I didn't realize the armor made him look so… buff," said Yang.

Pyrrha tensed a little.

'That's my knight! Get your own,' she thought.

" **Landscape then," cut in Ren, "Stay on the horse. He needs three points to beat you, so a broken lance won't win it for him, he has to knock you off the horse."**

" **I know how to score, Ren," said Jaune, "…I've waited my whole life for this moment."**

" **You've waited your whole life for Sir Branwen to shite himself to death?" asked Sun.**

 **Ren quirked an eyebrow at the comment, and Sun just shrugged.**

"What do you think he waited for?" asked Ruby.

"To prove himself," said Pyrrha instantly, "Correct me if I'm wrong Weiss, but squires stay squires unless they prove themselves, correct?"

"For the most part," she replied, "They are elevated either through battle, after their formal training is complete, or through politics. Since Jaune's a peasant, only the first method would apply. If he's caught here though, none of it will matter."

"I doubt he will be caught," said Pyrrha confidently.

 **The audience chanted, the flag was raised, and the knights charged. Sir Stihl's horse charged forward flawlessly, and his form was excellent. Years of training, battling, and competing allowed Stihl to poise his lance to an optimal position. Jaune's charge was less impressive up. His horse reared up as though to defy the unfamiliar weight upon its back, but Jaune remained calm. His calmness, and Ren and Sun's hollers made the horse charge forward. However, Jaune's inexperience showed when he had trouble hoisting his lance to his body properly, whereas Sir Stihl was already prepared to strike. The audience screamed with excitement, as thunderous hooves, and ringing metal charged closer and closer to one another.**

" **Get it in the cradle," said Ren, "Get in the cradle."**

" **GET IT IN THE CRADLE!" shouted Sun.**

"Cradle it Jaune!" screamed Ruby.

"Go Jauney, go!" hooted Nora, "Ren, cheer our leader. He needs our support!"

"Nora, he can't hear-"

"Go Jaune, show mama what you can do!" screamed out Yang.

"Go Jaune! You can do it!" cried out Pyrrha louder, who sent a subtle look of suspicion toward the blonde.

Ren sighed.

"Go Jau-" Ren was cut off by what Jaune did.

 **Jaune took his eyes off of the target.**

 **He looked to see where the butt of the lance was so that he could properly cradle it under his shoulder. He was able to do so, but when he looked up, he saw point of Sir Stihl's lance.**

 _ **Smash!**_

 **Jaune was struck dead center on his helmet's faceplate.**

 **Ren and Sun winced at the sight, and instinctively turned away.**

In the viewing station, everyone went quiet.

Jaune had taken a direct blow to the head. While they wanted to think his helmet likely saved his life, it was still a dangerous place to be struck. The blunt force trauma alone could kill him.

"Uh… there's aura in this universe, right?" asked Blake, in a worried voice.

"If aura does exist, a mere squire wouldn't have it," said Weiss, worried as well.

Pyrrha and Ruby had their hands over their mouths, while Nora, Yang, and Ren waited with baited breath.

 **Ren and Sun looked back at their friend, and recovered when they saw Jaune was still seated upon the horse. It was the third and final ride of the match, and they won! They both ran quickly to their friend. Sun cheered and was going to congratulate Jaune, and while Ren would do so as well, it would be after he checked to see if Jaune was still alive.**

" **Jaune, are you alive?"**

" **We won! We won!" shouted Sun over and over.**

" **Jaune, can you hear me? Jaune… get off Sun," said Ren as he elbowed the monkey faunus back.**

 **Sun didn't care though, and he patted and kissed the horse in joy instead.**

"Don't get jealous Blake," teased Yang.

"I don't mind. The horse can take him," said Blake, a little too defensively.

"Right in front of all of us? Kinky," said Yang.

Blake threw her candy bar at the blonde.

 **Ren leaned in and heard Jaune groan.**

" **He's breathing! He's breathing!" Ren declared.**

 **Sun and Ren cheered and hugged even more than before.**

"Oh thank goodness," said Pyrrha.

"I knew it," said Ruby

"Good to know that this Jaune is as stubborn as ours!" cheered Nora.

" **Sir Branwen!" said Lord Oobleck.**

 **Jaune faced the general direction of the sound with his smashed in helmet making noise. The part of the faceplate that took the blow had a very noticeable dent.**

Ren couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Well, at least his helmet worked," he said.

"Safety first," added Yang.

Everyone chuckled, though Weiss tittered in a dignified way.

 **Oobleck looked to Velvet.**

" **Sir Branwen, remove your helmet," Velvet declared.**

Everyone got worried. If Jaune revealed himself, he'd be in a lot of trouble.

" **Uh, my lord, I'm afraid the final blow of the lance has bent it onto my head," said Jaune in a muffled voice.**

 **Sun cleared his throat.**

" **H-He says the final blow has-"**

 **Jaune knocked a hand against Sun's shoulder.**

"Quick thinking, as always," sighed Pyrrha as she admired Jaune's on-the-fly approach to problems.

" **I present your champion, my lord," said Velvet.**

 **The crowd cheered.**

 **Oobleck nodded, and presented, on an ornate pillow, a golden peacock feather with emeralds and sapphires for the eye.**

"That's fine craftsmanship," said Weiss, impressed at the prize.

"Looks like our boys will be feasting tonight," said Nora, "Ooh, you think they have pancakes in this time period."

"Unlikely," said Ren.

Nora pouted.

 **Ren realized Jaune couldn't see through the visor, and lifted his friends hand to grab the feather, and hoist it up in victory.**

 **The crowd cheered once more, and Oobleck clapped regally.**

…

 **The scene cut to Ren with a travelling merchant, and showed the two haggle over the feather.**

" **Twenty," said Ren**

" **No, ten," replied the merchant.**

" **Fifteen," offered Ren.**

" **Done," said the merchant, who got out his purse and poured the money by hand.**

" **Very good, cheers," said Ren, after counting the coins.**

 **Ren joined his friends who waited by an old cart with all of late Sir Branwen's horses, belongings, and equipment.**

" **Fifteen silvers," said Ren, who tossed a sack to Sun, "He didn't want that."**

 **The two blondes approached Ren, who was sorting through the coins.**

" **That's five for Jaune. Five for Sun. And five for Ren, who's going straight home," said Ren.**

" **Straight to the pub for me," said Sun "Eel pie, brie tart… those little cakes with peppermint cream.**

"Wait, they're splitting up?" asked Ruby.

"With their master gone, they're no longer squires. Sir Branwen was the only thing keeping them together. They have no reason to keep wandering around, especially given their station as peasants. They have to find work and make a living elsewhere," said Weiss.

"…We'll still be together after Beacon though. Won't we?" Ruby asked.

The rest of RWBY and NPR looked at Ruby with soft expressions.

"Of course," said Yang, "Nothing will keep us apart."

"Good," said Ruby, "Otherwise I would have tried to order us to still be friends."

"You do know such an order would be null after graduation, don't you?" pointed out Weiss.

"Nuh-uh," shot back Ruby, "As of today, all leader decisions regarding friendships are absolute!"

Weiss groaned through a small smirk as her two other teammates and NPR chuckled.

 **As Ren and Sun were both getting ready to move, Jaune looked at the sky for a bit.**

" **We could do this," Jaune said suddenly.**

" **We've done it friend, that's silver in your hand," said Ren.**

" **No, I mean, we could do** _ **this**_ **. We can be champions," clarified Jaune.**

 **The two had a look of disbelief in Jaune's words.**

" **Look, give us your coins," Jaune said.**

 **His friends didn't move.**

" **Well now, come on, give me your coins," he repeated, before going to Sun and Ren.**

 **He got the coins from them, and recounted them.**

" **Right. Right, now that's one for you," he said to Ren before turning to Sun, "And one… for you. Which leaves thirteen. That's thirteen for training and outfitting. Now the tournament in southern Anima is in a month from now. In one month, we can split a prize bigger than this one. In one month we could be on our way to glory and riches none of us ever dreamed of."**

" **In one month we could be laid in a ditch with Sir Branwen," argued Ren, "I don't want glory and riches Jaune, I just want to go home."**

" **Cakes with peppermint cream, dilled veal balls with squash fritters, I'll take my five now," said Sun.**

 **Jaune shook his head and walked away, and the duo followed him.**

"Jaune only won that bout because his master got them far enough," said Weiss.

"I don't think Jaune cares. He's had a taste of winning and the adoration of the crowd, and now wants more. It can be a very intoxicating feeling," said Pyrrha.

"He barely survived that little jousting match. As much as I like ballsy guys, don't you all think he's pushing himself a little too hard?" asked Yang.

"I don't think so," said Ruby, "Our Jaune had almost no training at the start of Beacon, but he's still going and can last much longer in the combat classes now. This Jaune might win in the next month if he trains hard."

"…Perhaps," said Weiss.

Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren all nodded, not doubting their leader's work ethic. After just one year, Jaune went from novice to competent. At the pace he trained, Pyrrha projected he could probably give Ren a run for his money in just a few months, Nora in a year, and herself a few months after that. Jaune just needed more confidence in himself.

" **Oh, wait up," said Sun, "You're going the wrong way!"**

" **You can't even joust!" argued Ren.**

" **Well, most of it is the guts to take a blow, to strike one. Guts I have. And technique? I have a month to learn that," Jaune replied, "Besides, the sword! Name a man better with the sword than I am."**

" **In the practice ring!" cried out Sun.**

" **You're not of noble birth!" reminded Ren.**

" **So we lie," said Jaune, "How did the nobles become noble in the first place? They took it, at the tip of a sword. I'll do it with a lance."**

" **A blunted lance," shot back Sun.**

" **No matter, Sun. A man can change his stars. And I won't spend the rest of my life as nothing," declared Jaune.**

"This Jaune has a lot in common with ours, it seems," said Pyrrha as she all but swooned at the determination in his eyes.

"…I agree," Weiss said thoughtfully, "His recklessness aside, Jaune's desire to take his destiny in his hands is one of his better traits."

That got a series of surprised looks on people's faces.

"Weiss… did you just compliment Jaune?" asked Ruby in awe.

"Oh? Is the ice queen finally going to thaw her heart out for our hero?" teased Yang.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Jaune apologized for his unwanted advances, and wanted to start over. I accepted both his apology, and his offer. I'm not about to let my previous grievances get in the way of that," said Weiss.

"Indeed…" said Pyrrha politely, but inwardly she felt a chill, 'First Yang, now Weiss?'

Sure Weiss didn't seem interested, but there was no clear way to know. With the exception of anger, Weiss always had such good control over her emotions, and Yang's interest in her partner was already piqued. The thought of Weiss growing interested made her scared; Weiss was Jaune's first crush after all.

Dammit!

Maybe she had to be more aggressive the next time she saw Jaune. Perhaps… perhaps the next time she saw him, she would claim him right then and there!

"…!" Pyrrha blushed.

With a confession of course, not claim him… like _that_. But what if she was too aggressive? What if she came off as one of those stalker types? What if-?

"Pyrrha, you ok?" asked Nora.

"Fine!" she squeaked, "I mean, I'm fine. Thank you, Nora."

"No problem."

 **Ren looked around and saw two dead men hanging from a wooden platform. One was in a noose, and the other was in a cage with crows about for the both of them.**

" **That is nothing," said Ren, "And that's right where glory will take us."**

" **We're the sons of peasants. Glory and riches and stars are beyond our grasp. But a full stomach? That dream can come true," said Sun.**

 **Jaune looked at the two, and walked between them, past them, and stopped. He held out his hands, and showed them the coins.**

" **If you can take your coins go home, eat cake," he said, "But if you can't, you come with me."**

 **His open hands balled into fists, and Jaune got into a stance.**

 **His friends didn't move. Instead they looked at each other.**

"Are they going to do it?" asked Ruby, a hopeful look in her eyes.

Everyone saw the lack of movement, and thought that just maybe the two other squires would…

 **Jaune relaxed.**

" **You see? Money doesn't matter," said Jaune happily.**

 **Ren and Sun charged with mighty yells, and tackled Jaune to the ground.**

"Nope," Yang said.

"Figured," said Weiss.

Blake and Ren sighed.

"Boo," said Nora.

"Aww…" frowned Ruby and Pyrrha.

 **The three struggled over the coins, but it ended when Sun got one of Jaune's arms and bit his hand to make him drop the silver. Jaune screamed out in pain, and shoved off Sun while pushing Ren back.**

" **You see how hungry I am?!" cried out Sun, "Do you?!"**

" **Damn your stomach, Sun!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Ren just laughed.**

" **Ren please," Jaune pleaded, "With thirteen silver pieces, three men can change their stars."**

 **Ren took a breath, and stared at Jaune. Jaune shook with anticipation, and prayed Ren would relent.**

"… **God love you, Jaune," sighed Ren.**

 **Jaune rushed to hug the man.**

" **I know, I know. No one else will," he finished the saying, and gave the man a kiss on the cheek.**

Ren instinctively wiped his cheek, even though he didn't personally receive the kiss.

The scene ended and the lights came back on.

"Ooh, I wanted to see some more," said Ruby.

"I'm sure you all did, but there are many more universes to go through," said Archie.

"Then pop in the next one," said Yang.

"Please," added Weiss, who gave Yang a pointed look.

"Please Archie," said Yang.

"Of course Miss," said Archie mirthfully.

"Actually wait. I need more popcorn," said Nora.

 **A/N: Alright, the second reaction is done.**

 **I have seen the suggestions in the reviews. I have a few more of my own ideas planned out, but the time it will take me the get through them will give me enough time to look into your ideas on the side.**

 **The next update will be in two weeks. I have another story, "Team ANVL," to continue writing and I don't want that to remain unfinished.**

 **Thank you and please review.**


	4. Young Frankenstein: It's Alive

**I was really worried I wouldn't finish this before my self-imposed deadline. There are also some reviewer responses after the notes at the bottom.**

 **So we'll get some new viewers in the archive today, huzzah! I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth. I do not own** _ **Young Frankenstein**_ **. It is the intellectual property of Mel Brooks, and 20** **th** **Century Fox.**

Chapter 04

Ren slid a flatbread pizza from the magic kitchen's freezer into the oven for another viewing down the road as Yang and Nora got more popcorn. Weiss got up from her chair, and turned to her remaining friends.

"I'm a little thirsty. Would anyone be interested in some drinks?"

Ruby's hand shot up.

"Ooh! I want-"

Suddenly the door to the viewing room swung wide open, and everyone turned to see a blonde boy their age with a monkey tail, and an open shirt with exposed abs barge into the room in triumph. Two more people followed after him. Both were girls who wore brown clothes; one had a beret and sunglasses while another had a pair of rabbit ears.

"I got the beer!" the boy hollered with his eyes closed.

" _We_ got the beer!" shouted the girl in shades, "Vel and I paid… for… uh… where are we?"

"Sun?!" said Blake.

Sun's triumphant pose collapsed at the sound of Blake's voice, and he looked at his surroundings in shock as the door closed.

"Blake?" asked Sun, "Oh crap, am in the wrong room?"

"Um… kind of? Why? What room were you looking for?" asked Yang.

"Um well… Yatsuhashi and Team SSSN wanted to see this sports game and-" began Velvet.

The door suddenly reopened.

"I did what I had to do Ozpin!"

Sun, and the two girls of Team CFVY, whipped around and backed away as three more people walked into the room. They were their headmaster and headmistress of Beacon, Professors Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch, followed by General Ironwood of Atlas. They slowed down almost immediately as they got a view of their surroundings. The still atmosphere of the moment ended when the door gently clicked shut behind them.

"General Ironwood?" asked Weiss in shock.

"Professor Ozpin? Professor Goodwitch?" asked Ruby in an equal amount of shock.

"Students?!" was Glynda's elegant response as she mirrored their surprise

Ozpin blinked at his surroundings, and a look of dread was upon his face. Ironwood was speechless, and looked about. He was still on high alert, given his current… _discussion_ with Ozpin and Glynda about the council's decision. His hand edged for his trusty pistol…

"!"

"Your weapon is not on your person, general," said Archie, who now appeared before the newcomers, "None of yours are."

Indeed, Glynda could not find her riding crop, or Velvet her camera; none of them were armed.

"Worry not, you are in no danger," began Archie before he sighed, "Still, Lord Aeon's will or not, he could've at least given me a one hour notice to tell me others would come in to see the multiverse."

"Who are you?" asked Glynda.

"I am-"

Suddenly, the door swung open again, and when everyone turned around to see who it was, jaws fell in horror.

A man with shades, spikey black hair with touches of grey, a five o'clock shadow in nothing but a red cape, a speedo, and socks slid in with a cocky grin on his face.

"So ladies, ready… to…" said the man, who slowly tugged the shades down, and his red eyes looked horrified.

"Uh… hey Uncle Qrow," said Ruby.

Glynda, and Coco looked away in offense of what they saw. Weiss, and Blake turned to Yang, who buried her face in her hands and let out a small whine.

"Qrow…" began Ozpin, who looked the man up and down, "I see you're working _very_ hard, as your most recent call suggested."

"Uh… it's um… advanced information gathering?"

Archie sighed, and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Qrow was dressed in his usual gear and clothes.

"…You're welcome, Mr. Branwen," said Archie, "Now please gather around as I explain your current situation."

"The hell are you?" asked the veteran huntsmen.

"You'll know, if you cooperate…

…

"…And that is a brief explanation as to why you are here," finished Archie.

"So… we're watching movies on some kid because some otherworldly entity, or other, bored?" asked Qrow, skeptically.

"Maybe, or maybe there's a purpose. That is not for me to know. I'm sure you know the feeling Qrow," said Archie who cast a glance in Ozpin and Glynda's direction.

None of the students saw the pointed look, but Qrow and Ironwood chilled at the man's words. Ozpin merely gave an impassive stare, but Glynda seemed as though she was itching for her riding crop. Before they could say anything, Archie turned around the other three who came in.

"Do you young ones have any questions?"

Velvet took calm breaths as she tried to wrap her head around what was going on as Blake, and Coco tried to keep her from freaking out. Sun though…

"So, you're not going to probe us, or anything?" the monkey faunus asked.

"Seriously?" asked Blake, "That's the first thing you ask?"

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood. I'm kind of freaking out a lot right now, so some humor would be nice. Seriously, we were just going out on a beer run so that Yatsuhashi and most of my team could watch the ball game while Scarlet, Velvet, and Coco talked clothes. How are you guy's taking this so well?" asked Sun.

"We saw some good stuff," said Yang, "Plus, Archie's totally cool."

"Archie?" asked Ozpin, who turned to the archivist with a bemused expression.

"…I humored them," Archie replied, "My true name is more difficult to remember."

"So, this Jaune guy…" began Coco, "That's that leader of Team JNPR, right?"

"That's right," said Pyrrha proudly.

"Hey Vel, looks like we'll be watching that guy you're crushing on," said Coco casually.

"Coco!" shouted Velvet, who finally snapped out of her state.

A proverbial wind blew through the room, and Pyrrha went very still.

"Ooh, the plot thickens," whispered Yang.

"You have a crush on Jaune, Velvet?" asked Ruby tentatively, after she cast a worried glance at Pyrrha.

"Um… yes?" said Velvet before she sighed, "I don't know. He helped with a catch up assignment for Doctor Oobleck's class. It was on one of Vale's outer territories, Seine, his home province. It helped me get back to my team sooner at the start of semester."

"Velvet's been racking her brains trying to figure out how to repay him while making moon eyes at him," added Coco, getting an embarrassed squeak out of the bunny girl, "She thought about taking him to the dance to see if there was any potential romance, but we all had a mission with Port that took way longer than we thought. I hear he went in a dress, that true?"

"Yes," said Pyrrha flatly, "For me… as a result of a bet."

Pyrrha had quickly added the last part, and Coco lowered her shades with an intrigued glint in her eyes.

"So the guy's willing to follow up on his own words eh?" said Coco, "…Interesting."

'NOOO!' Pyrrha screamed internally.

"Ahem," said Archie, "If you require something to settle down, there are refreshments over there in the kitchen. Take your time, and we can begin."

"Does it have booze? I could really use some after hearing this crap."

"Whatever you need Uncle Qrow. Even the hard stuff," said Yang.

Qrow perked a little, but it was Ruby that made him settle down with the situation.

"Don't worry Uncle Qrow, it's not so bad. We're here," said Ruby cheerfully.

Qrow stared blankly at Ruby, before he huffed with amusement.

"I guess so. Been a while since we all relaxed together like this," said Qrow, before he followed them to the couch.

Meanwhile, Ironwood and Glynda approached Ozpin.

"What do you make of this?" asked the general.

"I believe… we should do what the man says. It's quite clear from his display with Qrow that he has power over this place, and without our weapons there is little we could do."

"You don't sound pleased, sir," said Glynda.

"No, I am not," said Ozpin, "But, my students have not come to harm as of yet, so there is no reason to antagonize _Archie_ either."

Ozpin chuckled a little at the name, and Glynda eased up at her appearances attitude. Ironwood grunted, but acquiesced to his colleague's reasoning, and chose to move to… his chair in Atlas? How did his chair from the Atlas Military Academy wind up here?

"Whatever make's you comfortable, General," said Archie.

"You did this?" asked Ironwood.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," answered the archivist, who then went to the bin by the screen.

Glynda looked at the chair Ironwood sat on, and forming next to her and Ozpin were chairs from their living quarters back at Beacon. Ozpin merely shrugged, and went to Qrow to get coffee while Glynda took a seat. She saw Archie take a glass case, a universe if she understood correctly, and look at it with interest. After a few minutes, she saw Yang plop down on the couch with her uncle, and everyone else.

"Hey, Archie, we're ready to go," said Yang.

Archie looked to them all, and saw everyone assembled and ready to watch. He placed the case into the VHS, and the lights dimmed…

 **The wind blew, and the rain fell hard. In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, a body with a burlap sack over the head swung back and forth on the noose like a pendulum, before being taken down.**

"Well, this is a rather macabre beginning," commented Ozpin.

 **Two men were burying the body, when the constable cleared his throat.**

" **Alright, alright," he announced, "That's good enough for the likes of him!"**

 **The man got a cross as the men that buried him made way. The officer handed one of the diggers the grave marker, who planted it in the ground, before his partner tapped it with his shovel as the first held it in place. As they did this, two figures watched in the distance: Ren and Nora.**

"Hey, it's us!" said Nora.

"What are you two wearing?" gagged Coco.

 **Ren wore an ordinary trench coat and a hat, with a cape for the rain. Nora wore a black shroud over her body. Of the two though, Nora stood out the most. There was a large hunch on her right shoulder as she slouched, and she had wide eyes, one of which was lazy.**

Coco found Ren's outfit dreadfully ordinary, while Nora's was… horrifying.

"We look awesome Ren!" said Nora defending her other self's choice in clothes, "What do you think we are? Detectives?"

"I doubt that a black shroud is used by detectives," said Ren, who was merely content to just watch things play out for the moment.

 **Nora made to stand up, but Ren grabbed her by the shoulders.**

" **Get down," he whispered, and Nora obeyed.**

 **As the two diggers walked away, Nora looked back to Ren, who waited a moment before he gave Nora the signal. Nora opened the gate, and the two snuck in, and began to exhume the body.**

"Grave robbers?" Ren balked, flatly somehow.

"Ooh, do you think there's a clue to the mystery?" asked Nora.

"Mystery?" asked Pyrrha.

"Duh," said Nora, "This has to be a mystery story! The atmosphere, the setting, how we look."

"Perhaps…" said Glynda, who sounded a little skeptical, "If this version of you is anything like you, you must have a purpose of some kind for you actions, Mr. Ren."

"I… hope so," said Ren, uncertain.

 **After some time, the two jumped into the hole, and after much effort, brought the simple wooden box to the surface, and the two took a moment to breath.**

" **What a filthy job," muttered Ren.**

" **Could be worse," said Nora.**

" **How?" asked Ren.**

" **Could be raining," she replied.**

 **Thunder tore apart the silence, as lightning sliced through the darkness. The rain began to fall again that night. Ren slowly turned to Nora, a frown on his face. Nora shifted awkwardly.**

"Lame," said Yang.

"Nah… cliché is more like it," said Qrow.

"It was pretty funny though," said Ruby.

 **They put the body onto a cart, and began to roll it out of the graveyard, and through the town. Eventually, the rain died out, and they moved as quickly, yet quietly, as they could. However, the cart hit a small keg littered the road, and the casket slipped down to the road and cracked open, exposing the corpse's arms. Ren and Nora moved to pick it up, when suddenly they could hear the clicking of boots on the cobblestone road, and Ren motioned for Nora.**

" **Quick," he whispered, and they both sprang into action.**

 **Officer Port walked down the street, to see what made the loud crashing noise he just heard.**

"Hey! Isn't that the big professor who talks a lot?" asked Sun.

"Professor Port?" asked Blake, "Yeah, he was in the first one we saw too. Oobleck was in the second."

"Were they interesting?" asked Ozpin.

"Port made Blake get emotional," teased Yang.

Blake growled, as Ozpin and Sun chuckled in their attempts to imagine such a sight.

 **After a moment, the constable happened upon the two as they finished putting the casket back, and covering it with the tarp.**

" **Need a hand?" Port asked as he saw the two.**

 **What wasn't hidden was one of the hands from the body, which Ren hung his arm around. He leaned back, put his hand in his pocket where the dead hand dangled, and put his free arm on the tarp which created the illusion of him relaxing.**

"Are you serious? That old gag?" grounded out Ironwood.

"Hey, the guy's improvising. 'Sides, I wanna see if he can pull it off," said Qrow, amused at the sight.

" **Uh, no thanks; have one," said Ren casually with an easy smile, "Thanks very much all the same."**

Yang laughed at the double pun while everyone groaned.

"On second thought, I agree with Ironwood. That gag sucks," said Qrow.

" **Just a moment, sir!" said Port, "I know everyone in this neighborhood, but I've never seen your face before. Can you account for yourself?"**

" **Yes," said Ren, "I am Doctor Ren Li** **è** **, newly arrived from Kuroyuri."**

"Huh… a doctor," Ren said.

"Uh, Ren, I think they got your name wrong," said Ruby.

"Actually… that's how it's supposed to be pronounced," said Ren.

Everyone except for the members of Team JNPR were surprised.

"It is?" asked Glynda.

"Yes… it's the old Animan pronunciation from before the war. Same with the name arrangement; family name, followed by given," said Ren.

"To think, we've been mispronouncing your name this whole time," said Glynda.

"Don't worry, Ms. Goodwitch. I'm fine with Lie Ren," he reassured.

" **Oh, yes sir, I was told you were here," said Port before offering his hand, "Well, I'm Constable Peter, sir. Pleased to meet you."**

 **Ren clicked his heels on the ground twice, before turning his body, and the dead hand to constable.**

" **How very nice to meet you, thank you," he replied politely.**

 **The constable took the offered hand with gusto before he looked at it with concern.**

" **Why, you're chill to the bone, sir," said Port.**

 **Ren just shivered in an exaggerated manner.**

" **A nice warm fire would be the thing for you. A little nip from the old bottle wouldn't be too bad either, would it sir?"**

 **Ren nodded and chuckled along with the constable, as he rubbed the dead hand, in an attempt to warm up.**

Everyone cringed at the exchange taking place. Touching a dead hand like that… Ren especially felt ill.

" **Well, if you have everything in hand sir, I'll say good night," said Port.**

Yang laughed again, to everyone's dismay.

" **Thank you very much, constable," said Ren.**

" **At your service sir, always," said Port with a salute.**

 **Ren clicked both of his heels again, and foisted the dead hand to his forehead as best he could to return the gesture.**

"…Ugh, too close," groaned Ren.

"Some doctor you are," said Sun, "Then again, this is another you so… I guess you can complain a little."

"What kind of doctor would take a dead body?" asked Ruby.

"An unethical kind," said Weiss, who received an affirmative noise from Goodwitch.

Ren suddenly got _very_ worried.

" **Good night constable," said Ren.**

" **Good night, sir," said Port before walking away.**

 **Ren quickly stuffed the dead hand under the tarp, and he and Nora rolled it along the road to their castle.**

"So what do you think they'll do to the body? Dissect it?" asked Coco.

"Gross," groaned Velvet.

"Ooh, maybe the guy swallowed a clue to an investigation," suggested Nora.

"Do you still think this is a mystery story?" asked Blake, "From what I can tell so far, it doesn't quite fit the signs of one.

"If there is a mystery, it's probably wondering when Jaune shows up," said Pyrrha.

"Oh yeah, where is he?" asked Ruby.

 **The dead body was laid upon an operating table with a cloth draped carefully by Ren and Nora. They were surrounded by electrical equipment, and a number of scientific instruments.**

" **Oh, what an awesome sight," said Ren calmly, "What a profound and reverent night is this. With such a specimen for a body, all we need now is an equally magnificent brain."**

Ren leaned forward, and his jaw fell upon seeing the setting… hearing the words…

No, there was no way, and yet…

"The grave robbing…" began Weiss.

"The equipment," added Ironwood.

"The creepy sidekick," said Yang and Qrow in unison.

"REN! I was wrong; this isn't a mystery. You're a… a… MAD SCIENTIST!" cackled Nora with glee and delight.

"…Shit," was all Ren could say.

Everyone choked upon hearing an actual swear word from the normally stoic teen.

 **Ren looked to Nora.**

" **Do you know what to do?"**

" **I have a pretty good idea," said Nora with a maniacal grin. "Good girl," said Ren as he put a hand on her shoulder… wait a minute, "Didn't you… Didn't you used to have that on the other side?"**

" **What?" asked Nora.**

" **Your, uh…" Ren stared a little. He could have sworn the hunch on Nora's back somehow moved from the right shoulder to her left, "Oh, never mind."**

Nora and Ruby giggled a little.

 **Ren walked away, and Nora just shrugged before putting on her usual smile. She joined the doctor who was washing his hands.**

" **That name I gave you?" asked Ren.**

" **I have it written down," said Nora.**

 **Nora showed him her palm.**

" **B. Oobleck," said Nora.**

" **Bart Oobleck," said Ren.**

"They're going to put Bartholomew's brain into a corpse, why?" asked Glynda.

"Hmm… I have an idea what Doctor Ren is planning, but I want to see it with my own eyes," said Ozpin.

 **In the town morgue, Nora approached her objective, and saw the sign of her destination:**

 **BRAIN DEPOSITARY**

 **AFTER 5:00 P.M. SLIP BRAIN THROUGH SLOT IN DOOR**

"What?" screeched Glynda, "How can one treat human anatomy like a package at the post office?"

 **She approached the slot in the door, and opened it to get a look inside. The coast was clear, and she slid her hand into the opening to feel around for the handle. The door opened instantly, and Nora moved in.**

"Gods, was that even locked?" grunted Ironwood, unimpressed with the facility's security.

 **Nora saw a hand and freaked out for a moment, but realized she had left her arm in the door slot. She eased it out, and went into the room to fulfill her mission for her master as the door closed. There, she saw her target on one of the shelves:**

 **B. Oobleck PhD.**

 **SCIENTIST AND SAINT**

 **Nora looked at her hand, and the name tag, and looked to Ruby and the viewers before nodding her head.**

"Um… did Nora just look at us?" asked Pyrrha.

"That's awesome!" said Nora.

"Coincidence…?" suggested Ren, uncertain.

 **She plucked the brain in the glass jar from the shelf and tip-toed away.**

 **A flash and crash of thunder and lightning from outside lit the room briefly, and Nora saw a person in the room with her. She jolted at the sight, and dropped the brain. When she calmed down, she realized it was her own reflection. She then looked fearfully at the ground, and saw that the brain was ruined.**

"Bart would have a heart attack if he saw that," cringed Ozpin.

The only ones who found the image of the brain riddled with glass even remotely amusing were Qrow, Yang, Sun, and Coco. Nora gasped however.

"No! How will the other me help Dr. Ren complete his maniacal plan?" cried out Nora.

Ren silently prayed the plan would fail. So many of his personal ethics were being violated right now.

 **Nora couldn't return empty-handed to her master, and out of desperation, got another brain:**

 **DO NOT USE THIS BRAIN!**

 **ABNORMAL**

 **What a strange name.**

"Oh, I have got to see this," said Yang.

No one said anything, but in their minds they agreed. If this universe wasn't interesting before, it certainly was now. Still, there was one who was not quite as invested due to one thought that still lingered in her head.

'Where is Jaune?' thought Pyrrha.

 **Back in the lair of Dr. Ren, the sounds of the thunderstorm could be heard outside. The generators within were on, and sparks flickered from the coils of the machinery. The exhumed body was no longer covered in the tarp, but instead, was held down with the table's steel clasps. The body was none other than…**

"Jaune?!" gasped Pyrrha, her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Holy shit, he's dead!" declared Coco.

"Jaune, no!" cried out Ruby.

 **The front half of his hair was shaved off, and there were scars and stiches from the brain transplant. Jaune also appeared to be a lot bigger and more muscular compared to the one they were familiar with. Looking over the body were two people. One was Ren, the other was a woman with rabbit ears, both in lab coats and surgical masks.**

"Velvet?" said Coco in surprise.

"Me?!" gasped Velvet.

"So wait, Velvet's the mad scientist's attractive assistant?" asked Blake.

"Ooh, is that in one of your porno books?" teased Yang.

When Blake didn't answer right away, Sun and Yang looked over to her.

"Really?" asked Yang.

"Wait porno books?" asked Sun.

"Science fiction," blurted out Blake quickly and defensively, "I read… tons of science fiction. It's a… um, common trope in those stories."

"Right," drawled Yang.

"Whatever you say, Blake," said Sun, joining Yang's tease.

"Um… guys," began Pyrrha, "Could you maybe not discuss risqué subject matter."

The three saw Pyrrha gesture her thumb to Nora who had a straight face as she watched.

 _Too_ straight a face.

'It's fine, another universe,' thought Nora, 'Another universe… another universe….'

" **He's hideous," said Velvet.**

" **He's beautiful," said Ren, "And he is mine."**

 **Nora was on the top of the lair's tower, above the two scientists, with a pair of kites in the middle of the lightning storm in her hands.**

"What is she doing?" asked Weiss, shocked at the dangerous action Nora was performing.

"If this Nora is like ours, it would take more than a little lightning to bring her down," said Ren.

Meanwhile, Ozpin smiled.

"I knew it," said the headmaster.

"What is it? What are they going to do?" asked Glynda.

"A corpse, a brain, and electricity… think about it," said Ozpin.

Everyone took the three words Ozpin said, and…

"Is my other self… trying to reanimate a corpse?" asked Ren in horror.

"You're trying to bring Jaune back from the dead?" asked Pyrrha in horror, and awe.

"Zombie!" cried Ruby.

"Awesome!" countered Sun.

" **Hurry now. We're fighting time and the elements," said Ren before he looked up to Nora, "Are you ready?"**

 **Nora looked down.**

" **Are you sure this is how they did it?" Nora called over the storm.**

" **Yes, yes, it's all in the notes," said Ren impatiently as Velvet undid his lab gloves, "Now tie off the kites, and hurry down as fast as you can!"**

" **What's the hurry?" called back Nora.**

" **There's the possibility of electrocution, do you understand?" Ren called back; he cupped his hands over his mouth to make a megaphone, "I said, there's the possibility of electrocution! Do you understand?!"**

" **I understand, I understand. Why are you shouting?" asked Nora, who appeared next to Ren.**

 **Ren and Velvet stared dumbfounded. Velvet looked up… they could have sworn Nora was still at the tower. How did she…?**

"Huh, you do that sometimes too," said Pyrrha, "How?"

"I'm a fast runner," shrugged Nora.

" **Did you… did you tie off the kites?" asked Ren.**

 **Nora nodded, but Ren noticed the hunch on Nora's back moved again.**

Everyone chuckled.

" **Check the generator," said Ren, who decided it was best to just continue the experiment.**

" **Yes, master," said Nora.**

 **The hunchback went over to the machine, and flipped the switches and checked the gauges.**

" **Nora, release the safety valve on the main wheel!" ordered Ren.**

" **Yes, master!" Nora replied, and did his bidding.**

 **Velvet joined Ren, who turned to her.**

" **Can you imagine the brain of Bart Oobleck in this body?" asked Ren.**

" **Oh, Li** **è** **," swooned Velvet.**

"Looks like someone's smitten," said Coco in a teasing manner.

Ren and Velvet looked at each other awkwardly, before they slid a few inches away from each other.

'Another _universe_ … another _universe_ …' thought Nora in her mantra.

"Wait, wasn't the brain they put in labelled 'Abnormal?" asked Weiss.

"It was…" commented Goodwitch.

" **This is the moment," said Ren before facing Velvet, "Well dear, are you ready?"**

 **Their faces were close, and Velvet licked her lips.**

' _Another_ _universe_ … _another_ _universe_ …' thought Nora, her hands balled into fists.

" **Yes, Doctor," Velvet whispered.**

" **Elevate me," Ren said firmly.**

There was total silence in the room, except for Yang and Qrow, both tried to hold in their laughter.

 **Velvet blinked in surprise, and looked at her surroundings.**

" **Now? R-Right here?"**

 **Ren looked around to a switch.**

" **Yes, yes raise the platform," said Ren.**

 **Velvet released her breath.**

" **Oh, the platform. Oh that yeah, yes."**

Almost everyone burst out into laughter, or chuckled at the innuendo.

"What did she think? They were going to get it on near the dead body?!" crowed out Yang.

"I can't decide if this supposed to be scary, or funny," chuckled Weiss.

"I'm surprised you get the joke," said Blake.

"Please, I may be a tad… formal, but I'm not unfamiliar with that kind of humor," snorted Weiss.

Only NPR, Velvet, and Ruby didn't laugh.

Velvet turned scarlet with embarrassment, Ruby didn't quite get joke, Ren face palmed, and Pyrrha tried to relax Nora.

' _Another universe…! Another universe…!'_ thought Nora in fury.

 **Velvet made her way to the switch, and Ren checked the body for any last minute problems. When he lifted his head, there was a look of focused resolve that could only be described as frightening.**

" **From that fateful day when stinking bits of slime first crawled from the sea and shouted to the cold stars,** _ **'I am man!'**_ **our greatest dread has always been the knowledge of our own mortality. But tonight, we shall hurl the gauntlet of science into the frightful face of death itself!"**

 **Ren gave the signal to his assistants, and the platform rose.**

" **Tonight…" Ren continued, "We shall ascend into the heavens; we shall mock the earthquake; we shall command the thunders; and penetrate into the very womb of impervious nature herself!"**

Everyone remembered at that moment that jokes aside, Ren was still a mad scientist. What was scary was that Ren was pulling it off very well.

 **Lightning and thunder rang through the night. Ren was finally at the top of the lab's tower.**

" **When I give the word, throw the first switch!" called out Ren.**

" **You've got it, master!" said Nora.**

 **Ren pulled out his mad scientist goggles.**

"It's official, you're a mad scientist," said Ruby.

"It's just ocular protection for the lightning," groaned Ren, "…I hope."

" **Get ready!" he called as he put them on.**

 **Nora was at the generator.**

" **Get set!"**

 **Nora put her hand on the first switch.**

" **GO!"**

 **Nora flipped the switch. The whirring of gears, and screaming of electricity roared throughout, and Ren checked the body of the corpse.**

 **No response.**

" **Pull the second switch!" Ren ordered.**

 **Nora obeyed, and Ren checked with his stethoscope.**

 **No response.**

" **Throw the third switch!"**

" **Not… the third switch!" called Nora with fear in her voice.**

" **Throw it I say! THROW IT!" cried Ren madly.**

Ren stared in awe at how crazy his other self was becoming.

 **Nora obeyed, and threw the third switch. Sparks flew from the generator, and there were mild explosions throughout the lab. Velvet looked in fear at the sight as the room began to darken.**

" **LIFE! LIFE DO YOU HEAR ME?! GIVE MY CREATION LIIIFE!" Ren screamed with not a trace of sanity in his eyes.**

Every one of the students watching but Nora felt a chill at Ren's craziness.

'Why does it feel like Penny's birthday all over again?' thought Ironwood.

The scene was horrifyingly similar to the day Doctor Polendina first activated Penny.

 **The lightning in the storm intensified, as if to answer Ren's demands. For a moment though, the body seemed to glow.**

"Is it working?" asked Sun.

"Looks like it," whispered Nora with excitement.

Ren's hands gripped his knees with anticipation.

 **Ren checked the body again as it started to smoke.**

" **Turn everything off and bring me down!" he ordered.**

 **Nora flipped all the switches down, and joined Velvet to lower the platform. As it lowered, Ren continuously checked to see if his creation had any life at all. When he got to the bottom, Ren put his ear to the body's chest… he lifted himself up, and gave it a firm thump with his fist… once… twice… he put his ear to the body again.**

 **Nothing…**

 **He checked the stethoscope…**

 **Nothing…**

 **He thumped it three times and checked…**

 **Fear was evident on his face, and he put his ear to the chest once more…**

 **Velvet and Nora joined their master at the table, who then slumped in defeat.**

" **Nothing…" Ren said.**

" **Oh, doctor… I'm so-" began Velvet.**

" **No, no… be a good cheer," said Ren, "If science teaches us anything, it teaches us to accept our failures, as well as our successes. Quiet dignity… and grace."**

"Well… it's good to know there's still a part of me in this man that I _can_ admire," said Ren.

"Ooh, but it was so much fun to see you let loose," said Nora, "Sometimes I think you need to be more spontaneous."

Ren inwardly frowned. Nora had enough spontaneity for a hundred people. If he were spontaneous as well, he doubted his heart or his life would last as long as it did.

 **Ren stroked the face of his creation, as though to bid it farewell. The three were about to walk away, when Ren lashed out, and tried to choke the dead man on the table.**

" **Son of a bitch, bastard! I'll get you for this!" Ren screamed, as Velvet and Nora tried to pull him away, "What did you do to me?! What did you do to me?!"**

"Yeah! Like that, Ren!" cheered Nora.

Ren sighed, and Pyrrha patted him on the shoulder.

" **Doctor, doctor stop it! You'll kill him!" Velvet said out of reflex.**

"He's already dead," said Blake.

 **Ren shrugged them off, and began to pound the body.**

" **I don't want to live!" he screamed hysterically, "I. Do. Not. Want. To. Live!"**

 **The two dragged Ren away, but not before Nora looked at Ruby and the audience watching.**

" **Quiet dignity, and grace," she shrugged with a gesture to Ren.**

"That's so cool!" declared Nora.

"It's creepy, is what it is," said Weiss.

" _ **Momma… Momma…"**_ **moaned Ren.**

"So, I guess Jaune's still dead?" said Pyrrha.

"I know!" groused Nora, "So unfair."

"As sad as it is, it's best to let the dead lie," said Ren sagely.

"Well said, Mr. Ren," said Ozpin.

 **Ren, Nora, and Velvet were sitting in the castle dining room, eating a meal prepared by the faunus.**

" **Reputation… Reputation…" moaned Ren.**

" **Oh Doctor, you mustn't do this to yourself," said Velvet, "You've got to stop thinking about it. Why look, you haven't even touched your food."**

 **Ren looked displeased at the plate, and started to mash his hands into the meal.**

" **There! Now I've touched it. Happy?"**

 **Velvet looked at Ren sadly.**

" **You know," said Nora between chews, "I'll never forget my old dad when these things happened to him. The things he'd say to me…"**

 **Ren looked to her.**

" **What did he say?" he asked, hopeful for a nugget of wisdom.**

"… **What the hell are you doing in the bathroom day and night? Why don't you get out of there, give someone else a chance!" she answered before going back to eating.**

Qrow laughed a little, but everyone else was confused.

 **Ren was confused, before he sighed.**

" **Oh, maybe it's better this way for a lifeless hulk. Maybe it is better off dead," said Ren.**

"Thank you!" declared Ren.

Finally something sane from his other self.

 **Ren decided to eat his food while it was still a little bit warm, and moved on to desert.**

" **What is this?" asked Nora.**

" **I think it's a tart," said Ren.**

" _ **MMM!"**_

"What was that?" asked Coco.

"Nora just thought it was good," said Velvet.

"Nuh-uh. That didn't sound like her, or anyone else at that table," said Coco.

" **Oh, do you like it?" Ren asked Nora, "I'm not partial to deserts myself, but this is excellent."**

" **Who're you talking too?" asked Nora.**

"… **To you," said Ren, "You just made a yummy sound, so I thought you liked the dessert."**

" **I didn't make a yummy sound. I just asked you what it is," said Nora.**

" **But you did, I just heard it," said Ren**

"… **Wasn't me," said Nora.**

 **Ren looked to Velvet, who shook her head.**

" **Wasn't me," said the faunus.**

" **Now look here, if it wasn't you, and it wasn't you…" Ren looked in the direction of the lab, a shocked look on his face.**

" _ **OOOHHHH!"**_

"It did work!" declared Nora.

"Jaune's alive?" gasped Pyrrha.

 **All three of them rushed to the lab with as much speed as their legs could give. When they got to the door, Ren opened it, flicked up the light switch and peered within. He ran to the operating table, where his creation turned to face him.**

" **Ooh?!" it groaned.**

" **Alive…" Ren covered his face with excitement in his eyes, "It's alive! It's ALIVE!"**

 **Velvet and Nora were just as surprised, and the creature just stared dumbly at the scientist.**

"Yeah! Ren just brought Jaune back to life!" said Nora.

"It actually worked," said Glynda, in morbid fascination.

"Indeed," said Ozpin, "Your other self seems quite pleased, Mr. Ren.

"He's a mad scientist who defied a powerful law of nature. I'm sure he is," said Ren deadpan.

Still, despite his reservations toward his counterpart, Ren couldn't help but acknowledge such an incredible feat.

" **Stand back," said Ren as he approached his test subject, "Hello there, I'm going to set you free."**

" **Mmm…" the creature sounded.**

"Is that wise?" asked Weiss, "The brain they put in was abnormal."

"Probably not," said Sun, "But it would be funny."

Everyone couldn't help but smirk a little, even Ren.

" **Is the sedative ready?" asked Ren.**

" **Yes, doctor," said Velvet.**

 **Ren moved to the steel strap over the legs, and removed it. Then the one over the creature's torso and arms. Finally… the one over the neck. Velvet stood behind Nora, the sedative in hand.**

" **I want you… to sit up," said Ren.**

 **The creature sat up shakily, and Ren figured it was a result of the brain and the nervous system just establishing their connection. The creature's arms were extended, and the legs moved rigidly as it turned to face his creator.**

" **Stand on your feet," Ren commanded.**

 **The creature looked at his feet, and made… baby noises? It struggled with the command.**

"Pfft…" giggled Pyrrha, "I know this might come off as strange, but this is actually turning out to be adorable."

"I know," said Nora, "It's like a big undead baby,"

The two girls of JNPR cooed at the sight, which got everyone to stare at Ren. The boy just shrugged, as if to say "What can you do?" and continued watching.

" **You can do it," Ren urged gently like a parent.**

 **It suddenly planted both feet on the ground, and it would have fallen if not for Ren's intervention. Ren held his creation in place as it straightened itself upright.**

" **Now… walk," said Ren joyfully.**

 **The creature took a very rigid step. It tripped, but Ren caught him again by grabbing it's still outstretched arms. Ren guided the creature forward with each step so that it could familiarize itself with the action.**

" **Oh doctor, I'm frightened," said Velvet, her ears curling in fear.**

 **Nora also looked uncertain, and reached into her shroud for some cigarettes to take the edge off.**

" **Don't worry," said Ren, who marveled at his creations progress, "Good… good…"**

 **Nora lit a match to smoke, but the creature jolted in surprise and tried to grab onto Ren.**

" **What's the matter…?!"**

" **Mmm… Rrrough… Nnnngh…!" it cried out as he struggled, and snaked his hands around Ren's neck.**

"Jaune's killing Ren!" gasped Ruby

"I'm sorry, Ren!" wailed Nora.

"The created attacks the creator," said Ozpin in a philosophical manner.

"What did you expect?! His. Brain. Is. _ABNORMAL!_ " reminded Weiss.

"I'm sorry!" said Nora again, doing her best impression of Pyrrha.

'Should I have a word with Doctor Polendina?' Ironwood thought to himself.

" **Get…! Give him the… ack!" began Ren, but was cut off, "Quick, give him the… hrk!"**

" **What? Give him the what?"**

 **Ren struggled, and tapped his arm.**

" **What…? Three syllables…" Nora started; Ren raised his first index finger, "First syllable sounds like…"**

"Charades…? At a time like this?!" snapped Glynda.

Still there was no denying it was hilarious in a slapstick kind of way. Sun, Yang, Qrow, and Coco certainly liked it, and were keeping themselves from exploding into laughter.

 **Ren pointed to his head.**

" **Head…?" said Nora.**

" **Head! Sounds like head…" said Velvet, "Bed, uh, zed…"**

 **Ren gave an affirmative gesture. Velvet gave a number of suggestions, but when Nora said "uh." Ren affirmed Nora's word.**

" **Zed… uh… Zed… uh…"**

" **Dirty word… he said a dirty word…" said Nora.**

 **Ren shook his head despite the creature strangling him.**

 **Ren made a giving gesture.**

" **Zed.. uh… give?**

" **Zed-uh-give! Give him a Zed-uh-give…"**

" **Tive!" shouted Velvet, "Tive! Give him a sedative!"**

 **Ren affirmed, and Velvet injected the sedative in the creature's rump.**

" **HHHHGGGHGHH!" moaned the creature, who started to calm down.**

"Staking your claim?" said Coco with a smirk.

"Eww, Coco, gross! It's a dead body" gagged Velvet in horror.

Everyone found the image rather repulsive, yet was the creation even still dead? Jaune was technically alive… No; even so, everyone agreed that would be gross."

 **It let Ren go, and before it could collapse to the floor, Ren caught him, and with a struggle, guided the reanimated body to a nearby table.**

" **Sed-uh-give?!" cried out Ren incredulously when he finally caught his breath.**

 **Ren sat himself onto a chair that Velvet provided.**

" **Oh, Li** **è** **, are you alright?" Velvet asked, her arms draped around him from behind in a hug.**

'THAT'S MY SPOT BITCH!' Nora internally shrieked, not bothering to repeat the mantra from before in her head.

" **Yes…" said Ren, "Would you excuse me for one minute dear?"**

" **Oh, of course, Doctor," replied Velvet.**

 **She backed away, and Ren turned to his other assistant.**

" **Nora? May I speak to you for a moment?"**

" **Of course."**

" **Sit down, won't you?" Ren said.**

" **Thank you," said Nora, who sat on the floor.**

 **Ren looked at Nora.**

" **Oh no, up here," said Ren, pointing to his front.**

 **Nora got a stool, and sat down in front of Ren.**

" **Now that brain that you gave me…? Was it Bart Oobleck's?" Ren asked.**

"… **No," said Nora.**

" **Ah," said Ren, who tapped his knee, "Uh… would you mind telling me… whose brain I did put in?"**

" **And you won't be angry?" asked Nora.**

" **I will** _ **not**_ **be angry," said Ren, a little too on edge.**

"He'll be angry," said Ren.

"Obviously," said Weiss.

"I would be too, in that position," said Ironwood.

"Same here," said Qrow.

" **Abby Someone," answered Nora.**

Weiss blinked, and snorted…

" **Abby Someone," repeated Ren, "Abby, who?"**

" **Abby… Normal," Nora answered.**

The audience was quiet.

 **Ren stared at Nora.**

" **Abby… Normal…" Ren replied.**

" **I'm almost sure that was the name," said Nora.**

 **The two had a chuckle, though Ren's was forced.**

" **Are you saying…" he began, as he got to his feet, "that I put an** _ **abnormal**_ **brain…" he put his arms on Nora, "Into a seven and a half foot long… fifty-four inch wide…** _ **GORILLA**_ **?!"**

 **Ren started to strangle Nora, and shake her about.**

" **Is that what you're telling to me?!"**

Weiss roared out with laughter, followed by Ruby, then Yang and Blake, until suddenly everyone laughed. Ren laughed especially hard, all control of his emotions thrown to the wind. After everything he'd seen in this universe, this was somehow the best part. He still cared for Nora, but there were days when her antics were especially crazy that sometimes, he wanted to do something like this.

 **Velvet ran to the two to try to break it up, and Nora gestured for her with three fingers.**

" **Um… three syllables…" and the screen faded.**

There was a brief resurgence in laughter, as the charades began. After another minute, it began to die down.

"That wasn't too bad," said Coco, "Bit of a slow build up, but overall, not bad.

"Abby Normal…" chuckled Weiss, as her laughter died down.

Glynda and Ozpin did find the name rather humorous.

"Not much of Jaune though," said Velvet, which got Pyrrha to nod.

"Well, he was technically there from beginning to end," said Ren as he recalled the man who was hanged.

"Do you think the next one will be funny too?" asked Ruby.

"If the humor is a little more up to date, it might. It had its moments, but it was a little old-fashioned for me," said Yang.

"Nah, it was cool," disagreed Sun, "It's like those old-school comedies Scarlet likes, mixed with those old horror films Neptune's afraid of."

"Are you suggesting Neptune would be scared to watch something like this?" asked Weiss incredulously.

"Oh the stories I could tell. He'd give your singing voice a run for its money," said Sun.

That got all the students to laugh again, and Glynda watched on with a small smile. This… disruption to her evening didn't seem quite so bad now. Looking at her colleagues, she could tell that they felt the same in varying degrees.

 **A/N:**

 **So, a major departure from the usual reaction stories one would find. I wanted to test the waters with how people would take this for when I do a particular reaction I have planned, where Jaune doesn't show up until the middle, or toward the end of the chapter.**

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews.**

 **Also, I've worked out a schedule for this story. It will update during every other weekend, preferably Saturday, but if the chapters are long, Sunday. This will give me time to write the material, research requests or ideas, and to work on any other stories I might have planned.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Parts of borrowed material for this reaction were cut because some of the comedy was too hectic to follow along with dialogue or action, and also because some of the words were in German, which I suck at spelling.**

 **In the original movie,** _ **Young Frankenstein**_ **, Gene Wilder's character, Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein, makes it a point to say his last name is pronounced "Fraan-ken-schteen" as opposed to the Americanized "Frank-en-stine." I thought Ren would be perfect for this because guess what…**

 **Throughout the entire series, people have been saying Ren's name wrong. If we were to follow traditional naming conventions from East Asia, Ren is the last name, and his actual given name is Lie, as stated in the flashback by his father in Volume 4. Therefore, the cast should have been calling him Lie. However, since Lie is Chinese, it would be pronounced "Lee-Uh," from the Chinese character for the word "ardent" used for Ren's name.**

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **JC of the Corn: Thank you for giving me permission, and for liking the first reaction. I really appreciate it.**

 **ZenithTempest: Sorry you don't like musicals, but I appreciate the feedback nonetheless.**

 **ZER0: Thank you for review. It's good to know I wrote the musical reaction well.**

 **343: Thank you for the compliment and advice, I'll be sure to follow it.**

 **TheBlazingWolf1: I may revisit a universe, depending on how popular it is with the readers/reviewers, but for the most part, these will be self-contained.**

 **NoxXelor: So I looked into what you said about Jaune only getting three to five months of training. While you are right, and it wasn't a full year of training, I still think it's more than three to five months of training. At the start of Volume 2 of the series, Blake mentions going over notes from the previous "semester." Assuming Beacon's scheduling functions in a manner similar to the U.S. college system I'm familiar with, the fall semester is roughly four months, followed by winter break: one month, then the spring semester: four months, we could see about nine months training. That's the logic I'm following at least. Regardless of the disagreement on time frame, your review is greatly appreciated.**

 **NoVigilance: Doctor Who… I've got a couple of ideas now.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please, review.**


	5. Rule 63

**An early update? What is going on? I plan to update on Saturday as well, so you'll get two chapters this week… hopefully. I'm doing this so I can devote more time to finishing the last chapters of one of my other stories, and get that ready to go this month.**

 **Anyway, it's good a lot of you liked the somewhat minor role Jaune played in his own Archive. I want to say that it was supposed to be an origin story, though those who wanted more Jaune might not buy that. Still, overwhelmingly, people responded well to it, so now I know what to expect when I work on the LOTR segments I have planned down the road.**

 **So something new I'm going to be doing for these stories. I will be putting previews at the end, so as to give you guys an idea of what to expect. Some will be straight up title drops, others will be hints like lines or a string of dialogue and/or exposition. Also, from now on, every fifth reaction will be** _ **inspired**_ **by you suggestions in the reviews or from private messages. It's my way of thanking you all for the support, and letting you know I do look at your suggestions. The next chapter will the first of these, so get ready**

 **So, for this chapter, it's a real doozy. Make sure you have the time to read, because it's a lot longer than I planned. The title says it all, and there's some headcanon stuff thrown into it. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.**

Chapter 05 – Rule 63

Archie pulled another volume from the archive, and let out a small chuckle.

"Something funny?" asked Ruby.

"Oh it certainly will be," he replied as he removed the recently viewed one down the slot.

Ren arrived with the pizza from earlier, and split it among RWBY and NPR.

"None for us?" asked Qrow as he gestured to the other adults in the room.

"You all came in afterward, I can make more later if you like?" asked Ren

"Pineapples on mine," said Sun.

"Supreme pizza for us," said Coco as she gestured to her and Velvet.

"Extra pepperoni," said Ironwood, who got a nod of approval from Ozpin, and Qrow.

Ren nodded, and sat down with everyone else. Archie put in the volume, and the screen went black. Qrow began to drink one of the beers Sun brought before he promptly spat it out.

"Qrow!" yelped Glynda.

Qrow ignored her as finger trembled at the sight.

"That's…"

 **A young man with silver eyes, spikey black hair with red tips, with a black trench coat buttoned from the waist up with black pants and a short red riding cape stood before a blonde boy just a little older than him. The blonde had short, shaggy hair, lilac eyes, wore brown cargo shorts, black combat boots, a yellow sleeveless muscle shirt, a large, and had a leather bomber jacket.**

All of RWBY's jaws, especially Ruby and Yang's, dropped to the floor.

"Holy shit, I'm a dude!" sputtered Yang.

"I'm… erk… huh?" gurgled Ruby as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh man… this is awkward," said Sun.

"Quite the understatement," threw in Ozpin.

Weiss, and Blake were both speechless, and had small blushes on their cheeks as they marveled at how attractive their partners looked as boys.

" **I can't believe my baby bro is coming with me to Beacon. This is going to be sweet!" said male Yang as he drew his brother in for a congratulatory noogie.**

 **His little brother, groaned in frustration, and shoved him off.**

" **Knock it off, Yang. We're in public, and don't play it up."**

"My name's still Yang?"

"It's a unisex name," said Ren.

"Huh… I wonder if Tai calls you _Xiao_ Yang Xiao Long in his universe."

"What?!" squealed Yang.

That was like calling someone "Junior."

Yang shivered.

" **Why not Rufus?"**

"What?!" screamed Ruby, "My name is Rufus?"

"I think it's adorable," said Weiss, "Like Zwei."

"Why do I have a puppy name?!" wailed Ruby.

" **Seriously, it was nothing Yang, really," said Rufus shyly.**

" **You kicked some gangster ass, and now you're going to Beacon at your age. How's that not nothing?"**

" **Yang… I, I got into Beacon two years early. I just… what if it's freshman year at Signal all over again. You know how things went after I made the top bracket at school," he answered.**

" **You mean when they'd call you 'teacher's pet?" asked Yang more somberly.**

 **His classmates had** **thought him to be a teacher's pet, which made it difficult for him to make friends. Everyone at Signal wanted to be cool or edgy, and being near him was bad for their image.**

"You're in the top ten bracket here?" asked Qrow, "You only managed to scrape into the top 25 at Signal when I was teaching there."

"What's wrong with aiming to be the best?" asked Weiss, confused by Rufus' concerns.

"It's a combat school filled with morons going through puberty," answered Qrow, "Freshies typically try to be all badass rebel and play up the 'too cool for school' attitude. I set them straight after a class with me. Remnant doesn't need idiots who don't take the Grimm threat seriously."

"Well worry not," said Weiss, "Thanks to my efforts, Ruby is quite studious. Even without my help, she is more than capable of placing into the top ten."

"Oh I know snowflake. I got a call from Tai Yang when Ruby got her report card from first semester. You'd think he landed himself a foursome with a band of triplets going by that face of his," replied Qrow.

"Nice," said Sun.

Blake elbowed him in the ribs, while Yang groaned at the mental image her uncle provided.

"Textbooks suck," muttered Ruby, "Weiss once said no comics until after I finished the essay for Port's class. He doesn't even grade them!"

Qrow just stared at his niece, and looked to her partner.

"Keep up the good work," he said.

Weiss nodded, and Ruby wailed.

 **Yang clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder.**

" **Forgot those morons, and don't worry about today. The headmaster saw what you could do firsthand, right?"**

 **Rufus nodded.**

" **Then you belong," he reassured with that same cheesy smile of dad, "And if anyone says otherwise, I'll knock their teeth out."**

"… **Thanks, bro," said Rufus.**

"Aww… look at that," said Yang, "I guess I'm still the best older sibling you could ask for."

"Such humility," said Weiss.

"Yang…!" Ruby groaned in embarrassment.

 **The sound of the news played in the background, and the two listened in.**

" **The robbery was led by none other than nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale police department. Back to you Lisa."**

" **Thank you Cyril," said Vale's top news personality, Lisa Lavender, "In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights Protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted-"**

 **The news story was cut off by the holographic image of Glynda Goodwitch.**

"Wait… if our genders were swapped, how come their's isn't?"

"Who knows? Life can be a mysterious force, and a surprising one. Sometimes it's best to accept how nature works out, as opposed to questioning it constantly," said Ozpin.

"Agreed," said Ren as he thought on the other Ren from before that dared to defy death.

"I guess," said Yang.

" **Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."**

 **The hologram shut down.**

" **Damn, check out that MILF," whispered Yang dreamily.**

Anyone who was drinking spat out the liquid, and this time Glynda did not reprimand anyone. Glynda was simply dumbfounded by what she heard. She was well aware of the sex drives her male students had, and knew she was the subject of some of their fantasies. Still, to hear such thoughts firsthand… she was not quite prepared for that.

"Um… alternate universe?" said Yang nervously.

"Ms. Xiao Long, please. I am well aware that isn't you. I'm not going to give you a detention, if that's what you're afraid of."

Yang still laughed nervously.

" **Yang, seriously?" groaned Rufus, "She's the headmistress."**

" **Oh I know. It's Saturday detention, and no one's around…"**

 **Rufus elbowed his brother in the ribs…**

"Thank you," said Glynda, glad she didn't have to hear what _Mr._ Xiao Long was about to describe.

… **and pointed to the window. Everyone got to the windows to take in the view**

" **Look, you can see Signal from up here," said Rufus.**

 **It was in the distance, but Rufus recognized the tall lighthouse of the school from just about anywhere.**

" **I guess home isn't too far after all," said Rufus.**

" **Beacon's our home now," said Yang."**

 **Rufus nooded, excited for the coming school year.**

"Where's Vomit Boy?" asked Yang, "This is the part when he threw up on my shoes."

"I imagine that's where the name came from?" asked Weiss.

"Ruby came up with it," said Yang.

"It was how I remembered him!" protested Ruby as she got a heated look from Pyrrha, "I didn't think it would stick."

 **A young woman walked off the airship. She had an oval face with blonde hair that went down to her shoulder and tied in a braid that ran down the left shoulder, and bright azure eyes. She wore denim jeans, a black V-neck tunic, and a form-fitting steel cuirass with metal vambraces and greaves, and articulated faulds.**

"There he is! Well, _she_ in this one, I guess," said Nora as she pointed at the screen.

"Huh… not bad," said Coco, "Not drop dead gorgeous, but cute."

"I think she's lovely," defended Pyrrha.

"What do you think Ren?" asked Nora.

"…I'd prefer not to answer that," said Ren after a cough.

This was Jaune… sort of, but still Jaune. He wasn't about to make things awkward for everyone on the team by voicing whether or not his leader's female counterpart was hot with that beautiful braid, and bright pink lips, and captivating… eyes…

"Is that a 'yes?" asked Nora.

"…I said nothing," said Ren, flushed.

"It's fine Ren. I bet Pyrrha would try to tap that too."

"N-Nora!" the Mistral champion protested.

 **The girl would have made for an imposing, yet beautiful sight, were it not for…**

" **Ugh, why couldn't there be a tram… or a bus," she shivered as she leaned next to a wall, and once more cursed her motion sickness.**

 **Whenever her family visited their relatives in Mistral to see the sights, or to go camping near the battlefields great-great grandfather Gerome fought at, they always had to take the boat. It took longer to get there, but she wasn't throwing up. It was strange how she got airsick as opposed to seasick. She figured out a trick to stave it off: stay in her room and stare at the ceiling. If she could focus on the unchanging ceiling as opposed to the "beautiful" rapidly shifting sights from the sky, she could tolerate air travel… just enough at least.**

"How come there isn't something like a tram?" asked Velvet.

"Beacon was originally a fortress for much of the kingdom's history. It was part of the defenses of the city, and one couldn't claim to conquer Vale without first capturing the fort," said Ironwood, "I imagine that in the medieval period of Remnant, it would be a daunting challenge. Rowing to the fortess with arrows and trebuchet's raining down before having to climb up the cliffs. The attacking army would have thought such a task maddening."

They all nodded in understanding.

 **Her sense of equilibrium restored, the woman took a deep breath of fresh air, and went to down the path to Beacon. She gripped her great-great grandfather's sword at her hip and took a step forward to her destination. She was honestly surprised her father sent** _ **her**_ **to Beacon Academy as opposed to one of her brothers. Her brother Fr** **ȇ** **ne would have certainly been an ideal choice. While not necessarily the heir to the family, he was a skilled huntsman-in-training who wanted to see the world.**

 **Not that she didn't think this wasn't a great opportunity though.**

 **She had the training to become a huntress, but she had always thought she would be squired to a huntress from the protectorate, like her brothers were to their local huntsmen. Her people were only recently reintegrated into the kingdom after all, and that aside, they were proud of their huntsmen traditions to the point they looked down on the academies.**

" **Academies train students. We train warriors," her people would say.**

 **She wondered if there truly was such a disparity between the two fighting traditions.**

"Jaune's from outside Vale?" asked Sun.

"Yeah," said Nora, "He's from Seine."

"It's Vale's outermost territory," said Glynda, "It's southwest of Mountain Glen next to the province of Hadria. It's a beautiful territory with a rich history."

"It's also politically unstable, if I recall," said Ironwood, "The Seinese have their own political structure, military, and hunstmen organization if I recall."

"They have their own huntsmen, true," said Ozpin, "But their army is used to hold the Grimm at bay in the south of the Battlement Mountains."

 **BOOM!**

 **She looked in the direction of the noise, and as her instincts kicked in, made her way to the epicenter. She saw a young boy in black and red lying on the ground with a dejected look on his face. Pity filled her heart, and she approached the lad. The boy looked up to her with a look of surprise in his eyes.**

" **Hey, you alright?" she asked.**

" **Yeah… just, chilling," the boy laughed awkwardly.**

 **She giggled, and extended her hand.**

" **I'm Madeline. Madeline Arc."**

" **I'm Rufus. Rufus Rose," replied the boy.**

 **Rufus clasped his hand around hers, and she foisted him up.**

" **Hmm… aren't you a little short for a student here?" she asked.**

 **Rufus looked downcast at the statement.**

"Madeline Arc…?" said Ren, "That's the name of Jaune's older sister. The firstborn, if I recall."

"Yes," said Pyrrha, "Jaune told me that his parents had names planned for their firstborn children. If it was a boy, it would be Jaune. If it was a girl, it would be Madeline."

"Guess Jauney is now Maddie," said Nora.

"I guess he is," said Pyrrha with a giggle.

" **Wow, two years early. You must be really special," remarked Madeline as she and her new acquaintance walked down the pathway to the school.**

" **Oh, I'm not that special. Just another one of the guys," said Rufus a little bashfully.**

" **Oh, don't be so modest," said Madeline, "I'm sure you'll do fine here."**

 **The two walked in silence for a moment.**

" **Soo… I've got this thing," said Rufus.**

 **Madeline turned to see a mechashift weapon being whipped out and revealing a massive scythe. Out of instinct she reached for her own blade.**

" **Meet Blooming Rose," proclaimed Rufus, as if he were introducing his child.**

"Blooming Rose…?" gasped Ruby, "He went with plan B?"

"Plan B?" asked Weiss.

"Ruby had a choice to make when building her weapon: a razor sharp scythe, or an overpowered sniper rifle," explained Yang, "Blooming Rose was the name she would have given her weapon if she went in favor of the rifle.

"Oh, I can't wait to see it in action," said Ruby all giddy with excitement.

 **When it was clear Rufus wasn't going to fight her, she eased a little, and took in the fearsome weapon.**

" **Is that a scythe?" she asked.**

" **Yep. It's also got a built in anti-armor sniper rifle capable of chambering a 20mm round that can pierce most Grimm plating."**

"20mm?! That's almost a cannon," said Weiss.

"I know! It was such a hard choice to make," said Ruby.

" **That's… neat," said Madeline, unsure of what else to say.**

" **So… what do you have?" asked Rufus.**

 **Madeline smiled proudly, and presented…**

" **Crocea Mors," she declared.**

 **She drew the blade out, and held the sheathe in her left hand.**

" **Ooh," said Rufus with an expectant look on his face.**

"… **Um, the sheathe does this," added Madeline.**

 **The weapon's sheathe expanded into a heater shield.**

" **Is that all?" asked Rufus awkwardly.**

 **Madeline frowned a little.**

" **Just about," she replied.**

" **It's a bit dated," Rufus said casually.**

Ruby gasped in shock.

" **Excuse me?" Madeline growled, in a low voice.**

" **Er… well, it's just that. It seems more like a family heirloom than a weapon."**

"No, don't say that!" Ruby yelled before she did a face palm.

"Wow, Rufus makes your social skills look amazing," said Yang with a cringe in her voice.

" **I-I mean-" he started, but was cut off.**

" **Oh no, I get it," growled Madeline, "You think it's garbage compared to your Blooming Onion."**

" **Blooming Rose," corrected Rufus.**

" **Whatever," dismissed Madeline, "This sword brought the port cities and shipyards of Anima to heel, and set a beach head on the continent of Mantle during the Great War. I don't need some mecha-shift, vanity piece to be an effective huntress."**

" **Vanity piece?!" growled Rufus.**

" **Clearly," asked Madeline.**

"Damn! Shots fired," said Sun.

Ruby was torn. On the one hand, how dare someone, even female Jaune, call her baby a vanity piece. Her gun scythe was every bit as amazing as it looked. On the other hand, her counterpart Rufus had essential insulted a weapon that defined the entire Arc family. Ruby knew that each weapon was special to the user, and Madeline was defending the family honor just as she knew Jaune would when push came to shove.

 **Rufus glared at her, and she returned the gesture with interest.**

" **I better get going," said Rufus, "I wouldn't want my brother to think I'm lost. Have fun with your walking stick, old lady."**

" **Careful you don't whip that thing of yours out too much. We wouldn't want anyone to think you're compensating for something, shorty," Madeline shot back.**

 **The two stalked away from each other, and when they were confident they couldn't see each other, made their way to the main hall.**

"Soo… I guess you guys are enemies, or something?" asked Nora.

"That's unfortunate," said Pyrrha.

"No! I'm sure my other self will realize the error of his ways, and make things right," said Ruby.

 **Later that night…**

"… **and you know what she called Blooming Rose? A vanity piece!"**

"Or not," said Velvet.

"Noo!" wailed Ruby.

"Calm down," said Coco, "This isn't you, remember?"

That didn't really make Ruby feel better.

" **Was she hot?" asked Yang.**

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, and Yang groaned.

"Blake, I'm not that bad am I?" asked Yang.

"Not recently," she said.

Yang groaned again.

"Think of this as introspection, to see how far along you've all come," said Ozpin.

" **Yang!"**

" **Well, she must be if she left this kind of impression on you. I mean people at Signal made comments on your weapon too, even girls, but you never devoted this much attention to it. Oh, my sweet baby bro has finally discovered women. I'm so proud," he cooed as he pinched Rufus' cheek.**

" **As if!" Rufus replied in retaliation**

" **You!"**

 **Rufus jumped, and whirled around to see…**

" **Aw crap, it's that Dover Schnee guy," he cried out.**

Weiss looked at the screen with keen interest.

 **He was not much taller than Rufus with silver-white hair slicked back to show his elegant face. He wore white slacks, with burgundy suspenders, a grey vest with brass buttons, and a white shirt with a ruffled collar and baggy sleeves. He also had black, hiking boots with Myrtenaster at his hip.**

"I almost look like my father," said Weiss flatly.

Were the face a little more masculine, her counterpart would be the spitting image of a young Jacques Schnee.

"So, you go by Dover in this universe?" asked Blake.

"Yes, the founder of the Schnee family line," said Weiss, "My mother wanted to call my younger brother Whitley that, but father said she had already named my sister and I and that it was his turn."

" **You're lucky we weren't blown off a cliff," Dover scolded**

" **Oh, so you really did explode," said Yang.**

" **It was an accident, I swear," said Rufus, but was presented a pamphlet.**

 _ **Dust for Dummies**_

" **Uh, what's this?"**

" **Can't read? Don't worry, there's pictures, and you can even color it," Dover replied in a mocking tone.**

Weiss snorted at that remark, while Ruby growled.

"Some things never change," said Yang.

" **I can read, jerk. I just want to know why you're showing it to me," snapped Rufus.**

 **Anime sparks flew between their heated gazes, until Dover took a calming breath.**

" **Just read it, and don't ever speak to me again." Said Dover.**

" **Uh, look," said Yang, getting in between the two before Rufus could retaliate, "Clearly you guys got off on the wrong foot. Why don't we calm down, and start over.**

 **Rufus looked at his brother, and took a deep breath.**

" **You're right," he said before extending his hand to Dover, "Hello Dover, I'm Rufus. Wanna hang out? We can get some pizza."**

" **Oh great idea," began Dover, who didn't take the offered hand, "And we can play video games, chug beer, and talk about hot girls like…" he looked around, "Tall, blonde, and… and… gorgeous…"**

"…Oh no," said Weiss.

Suddenly, Ruby's memory caught up, and she grinned.

"Oh my gosh… are you…?" she began.

" **You could have just said no," growled Rufus.**

 **Dover still ignored him, and Rufus and Yang wondered what got the jerk's attention. It was a blonde girl, half a head shorter than Yang, with azure eyes, form-fitting armor, and a sword at her hip.**

" **Damn, look at her," whistled Yang.**

" **That's Madeline!" said Rufus.**

" **Wait, that's that Madeline girl you were talking about earlier?" balked Yang.**

" **Yeah," said Rufus glumly**

 **Yang looked to Rufus, then back to her, then back to him, her, then him.**

" **Seriously? You screwed up a conversation with her?!" Yang shook Rufus by the collar, "She's friggin cute man! She could have been your girlfriend."**

 **Dover suddenly had a look of elation, and hearts in his eyes.**

"You do!" said Ruby, "Your male counterpart has a crush of Jaune's female counterpart!"

"T-This can't be!" lamented Weiss.

"Well… that's ironic," said Blake.

"This should be amusing," muttered Pyrrha.

Normally, she'd get jealous or fearful at the prospect of Jaune going with someone else. However this time the irony was so thick she found it funny.

 **Any further scolding from Yang was cut off by the sound of a microphone.**

" **I'll keep this brief," began Professor Ozpin on the stage with Ms. Goodwitch, "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you are finished you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove to you that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."**

"That's a cold way to greet students," said Sun as he thought on the welcome speech from Haven.

"Real inspirational Oz," said Qrow.

"I did tell you to go with a softer tone," said Glynda.

"It's still true," said Ozpin, unapologetic.

"Our speech was nicer," said Velvet.

"A little generic though: follow your dreams, you can achieve anything blah, blah," said Coco.

 **Madeline was a little perplexed by the headmaster's speech, and went off to get changed into her clothes when she noticed the boy, Rufus, from before. She scowled a little when their eyes met, and turned rapidly to walk away.**

" **Oof!" she grunted, before she stumbled and fell on her butt.**

" **Oww…" said an pained voice.**

 **Madeline quickly scrambled.**

" **Oh my gosh I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going**

" **Clearly," replied the voice, in irritation.**

 **Madeline got a look at the person she had bumped into. He was a young man with a lithe figure, dark amber eyes with pronounced tear-troughs. He had cat ears, black hair with center-parted bangs and tied into a low ponytail that went down to the small of his back. His clothing consisted of a black hakama with a black obi with the hems of the garments held by white steel kyahan greaves. He also wore steel toe tabi-style boots, a wore a one white flak jacket, but no shirt, which revealed taught arm muscles.**

"Blake, you look like a total badass ninja!" said Sun.

"Looking good Blake!" purred Yang.

Blake stared in awe at her male counterpart. While not as flamboyant, his taste in clothes was very similar to her parents. Furthermore, the tear-troughs were clearly from her mother, Kali.

" **Here, let me help you up," she offered.**

 **The young man just looked at the hand for a moment, before he took it into his hand. He stood a full head over her, and it would have been an imposing sight were it not for cute cat ears that just begged to be tugged and scratched.**

" **I'm really sorry about that. I was just reminded of my bad morning, and well… sorry."**

 **The faunus boy sighed.**

" **It's alright. At least you had the decency to apologize, which is more than can be said for some of the people I've come across," he replied.**

" **Well that's good. I'd hate to be considered rude," said Madeline, "I'm Madeline by the way."**

" **Blake…" the faunus said in reply.**

"My name's the same. Thank goodness," said Blake.

"Hey Blake, we're probably the most normal, name wise," said Yang.

That got growls from the other two girls of RWBY, and thankful nod from Blake. What Blake noticed was that this version wasn't hiding his ears.

'He's braver than me,' she thought.

" **Nice to meet you Blake. Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get changed for tonight. I hope we bump into one another again," said Madeline pleasantly.**

" **Hopefully with less force," said the faunus.**

 **Madeline giggled.**

" **Indeed. See you around," she said.**

…

 **The young Arc maiden left the girls changing room designated by the school in her Pumpkin Pete's tank top, and short shorts. She turned to make her way back to the she when was greeted by the sight of a tall shirtless blonde boy that looked at her with great interest. She was immediately on guard, and the boy raised his hands up.**

" **Who, whoa, easy there little lady… I'm just here to talk," he said.**

" **Oh I bet you say that to all the girls," said Madeline.**

"Was I standing there the entire time?" asked Yang.

"You probably were," said Blake.

"I must have looked like a creeper to any girl leaving the changing room," shivered Yang.

"Or not," added Qrow, "You're old man liked to flaunt his muscles. A lot of girls liked that back in the day."

"Ugh… Uncle Qrow! I don't need the image of shirtless dad on top of this. I feel so dirty now!"

Blake tried really hard to not to laugh.

" **Not all… but I'm getting off topic. My name is Yang Xiao Long, pleased to meet you."**

 **He offered a hand, and she looked at him straight in the eyes. They seemed sincere, and friendly enough and she reached out and took the hand.**

" **Madeline Arc," she replied.**

" **Oh, I know who you are. My brother Rufus spoke pretty highly of you," he replied as he let go.**

" **Rufus," Madeline said flatly, and turned to a taller blonde boy, "You're his brother?"**

" **Yep," he said with an easy smile.**

" **Okay," she said, "Nice to meet you. Goodbye."**

" **Wait!"**

 **The next thing Madeline saw was Yang zip in front of her.**

" **Look I just want you to know, that he's not a bad kid. He's just, kind of bad with people."**

 **Madeline looked at him.**

" **I'm not apologizing for him, whatever you two have right now is between you and him. All I'm saying is that he's a little awkward with people. That's all," said Yang.**

" **If you're not apologizing, then why tell me this?"**

" **Two reasons. First is that if you two make it through initiation, you'll be seeing a lot of each other down the road. You might want to get used to that."**

" **And the other?" she asked.**

" **If my brother does apologize, and you don't accept, I'll have had at least one civil conversation with you. Cute as you are, family comes first," he said.**

 **Madeline went a little red at the comment.**

"Wow, Jaune's easily flustered no matter what universe?" said Yang.

"You just threatened Jaune," growled Pyrrha.

"If he hurt Ruby's feelings, I'd do more than that," said Yang.

"Yang, no fighting, please," begged Ruby.

" **I'll think on what you said," said Madeline.**

" **That's all I ask," said Yang**

 **Madeline walked past Yang to the sleeping area, while the other blonde went in the other direction to the bathrooms. When she got to the common area, she saw Rufus writing something down in a journal. Her thoughts went back to Yang's words, but she was tired and chose to sleep.**

"No, I don't want us to be enemies in this universe," groused Ruby.

"There's still more to this," said Velvet, "Maybe you'll patch up before the end."

"I hope so," said Ruby.

 **A girl with black eyes, bright magenta hair, with a stray black lock, rose up with the sun. She wore a green, sleeveless cheongsam, white sport shorts, and tied her hair into a short, spikey, fanned-ponytail.**

"Ren, it's you!" pointed Nora, "You both look so pretty I can't tell the difference!"

"The hair and the eyes are inversed," commented Ren, noticing his female counterpart's jet black eyes.

There was a certain… feeling he could associate with those eyes. It was at the tip of his tounge, but he couldn't quite name it.

 **Girl Ren looked about before she heard the tell-tale snore of her long-time friend and companion. He had long ginger red hair, a cleft chin, well-defined abs and arm muscles, and slept in a pair of electric blue lounge pants.**

"Oh my gosh! I look glorious! Check out those abs! I could grate cheese on those bad boys," Nora proclaimed.

"Man… I feel really out of shape," said Sun looking at his own set, "That dude's got like… a 24 pack set going on there."

"I know!" said Nora, "It's like the muscles have muscles."

"Muscle ain't everthing kid," said Qrow.

"…abs," Glynda whispered.

"Huh?" said Qrow, "You say something Goodwitch?"

"Nothing… just coughed a little," she said.

" **Torden," she said.**

" **Five more minutes, Ming. Must slay, giant pancake," said Torden.**

 **Ming just rolled her eyes, and got up to stretch. When she was satisfied with how limber she felt, she raised a foot, and used her toes to pinch Torden's nose.**

 **3… 2… 1…**

 **Torden gasped for air, and upon seeing Ming's feet.**

" **Spider!" he cried out.**

 **Torden moved to swat the vicious creature, but Ming removed her foot before impact and Torden slapped himself awake.**

" **Morning Torden," said Ming with a sassy tone.**

"… **Morning Ming," he groaned.**

 **Ming simply smiled.**

"Ming and Torden…" began Nora, as though to test it out, "I like it."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see you this… sassy," said Pyrrha.

"My mother said I inherited her sass once… a long time ago," said Ren somberly.

Nora looked solemn for a moment, and Pyrrha gasped as she picked up on the implication of Ren's words.

"I'm sorry, Ren," said Pyrrha.

"It's fine Pyrrha. I've managed," said Ren

As he got sympathetic looks from RWBY, and the others, Ren looked to his counterpart, and saw she had kept that sass of theirs alive.

'If we went through the same thing at Kuroyuri… could she be doing that to keep mother's memory alive?' he thought.

If so, it gave him comfort.

" **Get up Torden, there's pancakes in the cafeteria. You can finish waking up there," Ming suggested.**

 **Torden's mood perked up, and he followed his friend to the bathrooms to brush their teeth and put away their sleeping bags, before they went to the cafeteria. Torden dressed himself wore denim jeans, combat boots, and a dark pink muscle shirt with a navy-colored bear roaring in the center. He stood an impressive six foot five, easily dwarfing Ming, who stood at five feet. All the while, Ming was quietly sightseeing the school on the way to the eating hall.**

"Guess you're not much of a morning person here," said Blake.

"With a body like that? More muscles mean more mass, which means more rest in between workouts," said Nora, "Besides, I'd need more beauty sleep with a body that glorious."

"Say, can I work out with you later? I wanna see if I can improve," said Sun.

Nora didn't say anything. She just smiled a happy smile. Ren and Pyrrha looked at the monkey faunus with fear and pity. He had no idea what he had unleashed.

 **The two got their pancakes, and they sat across from one another in comfortable silence. Ming waited for Torden to be a little more awake before she cleared her throat.**

" **So…" she began, "I hear there are going to be teams."**

 **Torden looked to her.**

" **There will be," he said, "Hopefully we'll on the same team together."**

" **I know. I mean, I can't imagine you not being there!" Ming nodded, "We've always been together… well, you know, not together-together, but together."**

" **I know," chuckled Torden.**

Everyone but Ironwood and Qrow, who weren't too familiar with Nora and Ren, chuckled. Even Glynda found it adorable.

"It seems you're the more stoic of the two of us," chuckled Ren.

"You mean I'm the boring one?" gasped Nora.

Ren frowned, he wasn't boring.

"Focused," he corrected.

Too late; everyone laughed, and Ren sighed in defeat.

 **Torden lifted his carton of orange juice.**

" **Together?" he prompted**

 **Ming smirked, and lifted her carton of milk, "Together."**

 **They tapped the two together, sloshing some onto their food. They looked at their now, slightly ruined pancakes and laughed.**

"Aww… they're so cute together," gushed Velvet.

"W-Well… uh…?" stammered Nora.

Ren fidgeted.

"Indecisive kids…" muttered Qrow.

"I doubt we had it any easier," said Ozpin.

All the adults huffed at the all too true words of Ozpin.

 **In the locker room, Madeline was searching for her locker and overheard the sound of footsteps.**

" **Hello there."**

 **Madeline turned around, and saw a boy with short, red hair in a French crop and green eyes. He cut a lean figure, though a little buffer than Blake from yesterday, and wore a bronze cuirass, and red, loose sport pants. His weapons were a kopis sword at his hip, and a hoplon shield at his back.**

"Looks like you're up Pyrrha," said Ruby.

"Oh my," said Pyrrha, "I look like my grandfather in his navy photo, but younger."

" **Hello," she responded simply, "Can I help you?"**

" **Actually, I was wondering if I could help you," he said suavely, "You seemed lost."**

"Am I flirting with Jaune?" asked Pyrrha, almost aghast.

"You technically aren't," said Weiss.

" **I can't find my locker," she replied, "The numbering system for this place is pretty screwy."**

 **He looked confused for a moment, as though what he expected didn't happen. The guy shook his head, and put up a more casual smile.**

" **Why don't I help you look?" he offered, "I already have my gear, and I have the time to help a fellow freshman."**

" **That sounds great," she said, "I'm Madeline, by the way."**

" **Pyrsos Nikos," said the young man proudly.**

"Pyrsos?" said Pyrrha, "That was my grandfather's name."

"Oh neat. You look like your grandfather and you're named after him too," said Ruby

Pyrrha didn't think it was quite so neat. She loved her grandfather, but that didn't mean she wanted to be compared to him like this. Yang put a hand on her shoulder.

"After seeing me look like a little version of my dad. I feel you Pyrrha," she said.

"Thanks Yang," replied Pyrrha, who gave a comforting grip to Yang's shoulder as well.

" **Nice to meet you Pyrsos. Now my locker number is 636. Strange, I don't remember counting that high… or reading the locker number for that matter," when she didn't hear Pyrsos, she turned around to see a dumbfounded expression, "Something wrong?"**

" **Um… I'm Pyrsos Nikos," he said.**

" **So…?" said Madeline.**

" **You don't know who I am?"**

" **Of course I do," she said, "You're a guy name Pyrsos Nikos. What, did you win a medal or something?"**

" **That's an understatement," said a new voice.**

 **Madeline turned to see a boy with silver-white hair approach.**

"This ought to be good," snickered Yang, who remembered how the played out last semester.

Weiss remembered as well. Back then, Jaune had tried to get her to join _his_ team all while flirting with her. Now the tables seemed to have turned since her male counterpart appears to have been smitten by the appearance of Madeline Arc. She was curious to see if her male counterpart was going to attempt to flirt with the blonde girl she was currently watching.

" **Hello, my name is Dover Schnee, and I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," he said with all the suave of a used car salesman.**

 **Madeline immediately tensed at the tone of voice.**

Ruby made a sound equivalent to a plane crashing, then exploding.

"Dover's made a bad impression," added Blake.

"He sounds like a sneaky conniving business guy in some movie," added Nora.

"It's called charm," defended Weiss, with an embarrassed expression, "Besides Yang did it to her too."

"Yeah," Yang Weiss, "But my other self was taller, and cooler."

Weiss sputtered.

"Not to mention, he didn't sound like a car salesman," added Sun.

"Not to mention those abs," said Coco.

Velvet gave a dreamy sigh.

 **Dover panicked for a bit, and cleared his throat.**

" **I was surprised you don't know who Pyrsos is? He is the top graduate of Sanctum Academy out near Mistral," he said**

 **The red head puffed up in confidence at that.**

" **That's… good?" said Madeline.**

 **Pyrsos deflated a little, and Dover cut in again.**

" **He also won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times in a row. A new record!"**

" **The what?"**

 **Pyrsos was downcast.**

" **He's on the cover of the Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow flake's box?" threw in Dover.**

" **No way! That's you!" Madeline declared with stars in her eyes, "Ooh, my baby brother loves that show! He has an entire collection of every box since he was five!"**

 **Pyrsos looked devastated. Of all the things a pretty girl could identify him with, it had to be that damn cereal deal he did.**

"My other me seems to like his fame more than I do," said Pyrrha.

"You think he was trying to get into her pants?" asked Nora, a worried tone in her voice.

"I certainly hope not!" gasped Pyrrha.

"I don't think he was," said Ren, "If Pyrsos was an aggressive flirt, I doubt he would appreciate Dover's presence there, even as a wingman. He'd be too proud to ask such a thing, not to mention, he wouldn't want Madeline's attention off of him."

Ren's reasoning gave Pyrrha comfort.

" **It was pretty cool," gritted Pyrsos in as cheerful a voice as possible, "Unfortunately the cereal's bad for your health."**

" **Still, I think it's a good thing you took the time for the Pumpkin Pete's brand."**

 **Iroas and Dover looked at her with a surprised look.**

" **It is?" asked Iroas.**

" **Yes," said Madeline, "The Pumpkin Patch Charity group does so much to help people. They deliver food to needy families, seniors who can't leave their houses, and provides supplies to disaster stricken towns outside the kingdoms. It's good that you're using your celebrity status to help a company that helps so many people across Remnant. Most of the time, it seems like all celebrities care about is getting as many hits and views on their personal pages on the CCT. I'm glad you're not one of those."**

 **The sheer sincerity of the words struck Pyrsos. In truth, he had done the deal because his sponsors told him to. He didn't know much about the cereal brand, or the charity they ran. It was just another job to him…**

" **W-Well, you know, it was for a good cause," he whispered.**

" **Glad to hear it, now are you going to help me find my locker, or not," said Madeline.**

" **Y-Yes," perked up Pyrsos, "Um… see you later Dover. I'll think about your proposal to be in teams."**

 **Pyrsos ran off after the Madeline, who started to go down the locker room.**

"And so begins love story of Pyrsos and Madeline…" teased Yang.

Pyrrha blushed at the thought.

" **Wait!" cried out Dover.**

 **Dover growled in frustration.**

" **Oh, hey pretty lady. I'm Dover. I'm rich. I know facts. Let me help you find your locker," whispered Rufus in a mock proper voice.**

" **Shut it. I'll have you know girls admire men with intellect and knowledge," snapped Dover.**

" **Maybe next time pal," said Yang.**

"Wait… is that what your male counterpart was going to do for flirting? Trivia?" asked Sun.

"Wow. Trivia and the car salesman style of talking. I never thought I'd say this Weiss, but Jaune? He was a pro," said Yang.

"Shut it!" snapped Weiss.

 **At Beacon's Cliffs, Ozpin addressed the students.**

" **For years, you have trained to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."**

" **Now I'm sure many of you heard about the assignment of teams. Well allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today," said Glynda.**

 **Rufus groaned a little.**

" **These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon. So, it's in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well," continued Ozpin.**

 **Rufus got more nervous.**

" **That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years.**

 **All of Rufus' fears cracked his confidence.**

" **What?" he yelped.**

" **After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die," added the headmaster, "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and we will grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"**

" **Um, yes, sir?" asked Madeline.**

" **Good," he cut her off, "Take your positions."**

" **Sir, you said 'landing' earlier. Are you dropping us off?"**

 **Dover was launched from a catapult that he was standing on. Madleine saw this, and looked back to Ozpin. He smiled.**

" **No, you will be falling," he answered.**

" _ **Merde**_ **," she cursed, and braced herself, 'I hope I don't throw up mid-flight.'**

 **She was launched after Rufus, and suppressed the urge to scream. Madeline thought to her first time on a roller coaster... nope, not working. Rollercoasters were controlled, she could anticipate and strategize how to turn her body based on the track. Instead, she got out her sword and shield, and decided to brute force her way to a landing instead. She expanded the heater shield, and tried to use it to create drag and slow down her descent. It worked, and as she approached the trees, she activated her semblance and braced herself. Her body and shield glowed white momentarily, and she made impact. Her armor, coupled with her shield and semblance cushioned much of the impact, but she still felt her bones rattle.**

"Was that Jaune's semblance?" gasped Pyrrha with excitement.

"Well, it's possible," said Ozpin, "I presume Madeline and Jaune are the same in terms of their soul, but their differing experiences may color the nature of the semblance if it is indeed shared. Almost like an accent to a language."

"What do you think it was?" asked Velvet.

"Only she knows the answer to that," said Ozpin.

" **Ugh… crazy Valeans, launching teenagers into the sky like that," she groaned as she got up.**

 **She looked into the canopy of the forest, and saw the sun off to one side of the sky. Sunrise starts in the east, so she turned in the general direction of north and started to walk.**

 **She started to whistle a happy song as she did, and thought cheerful thoughts. Having lingering thoughts of disdain for flying wouldn't help her in the middle of a Grimm infested forest. Her father would always say that only a fool looks for a fight when they are all alone. She'd wait till she found a partner before she vented.**

"Wise thinking…" said Ironwood.

"Indeed," said Glynda, "Students, since this is a viewing of the initiation, you should take the time to learn how they handle it. You might find inspiration in their successes, or a lesson, should they fail."

All the students focused on the screen after hearing Glynda's words.

 **She stopped when she heard a rustle in the distance, and edged for her blade. There was a crash, and Madeline sprung into action. The young girl cut through the brush, and the woods, and came upon the sight of girl in a cheongsam fighting a king taijitu bare handed. The serpent coiled up its muscular body to strike. When it lunged, Madeline stepped in, and raised her shield at an angle under the chin before thrusting up with her blade. The snake's speed worked against it as disemboweled itself on Madeline's sword.**

"Brutal…" said Yang.

 **That end of the snake thrashed about as the second head reared up to take over. As it lunged at her, the girl in the cheongsam leapt into the air, and kicked the head down. As it impacted, Madeline took initiative, and stabbed the blade dead center of the skull. Before she could react, the martial artist she had chosen to help delivered a swift kick down the pommel of Crocea Mors. The entire grimm seized then twitched a little before disappearing.**

"Efficient," said Glynda, "No flair, or wasted movement. Madeline Arc is a skilled fighter."

"You think this is how Jaune would fight if he was trained before going to Beacon?" asked Ruby.

"Jaune would have been a good fighter if that were the case. But Madeline is also more guarded than Jaune, and a little colder," said Ren, "While Jaune would certainly have more credibility among his peers as a fighter, it's equally possible the more focused attitude he'd possess would cause friction. Madeline already doesn't get along with Ruby's counterpart."

That got all of RWBY and Nora and Pyrrha thinking.

Would Jaune have been as friendly and kind toward them all as he was at the start of school in their world?

" **Thanks for the assist," said the girl.**

" **No problem… partner," said Madeline.**

 **The girl smiled, sadly, "I guess so."**

" **Oh…" Madeline said, sensing the other girl's disappointment.**

" **Oh no, I didn't mean to say I don't want to be on your team, or anything like that. You're a great fighter. It's just, I have a friend who wanted to be paired with me."**

" **Oh, well, if we find them, they can be part of the team. Do you have a way of getting in contact with him?" asked Madeline.**

" **Well, he usually finds me," said the girl. The snapping of branches snapped through the air, "Speaking of which…"**

 **Madeline saw a flash of blue and pink tear through the trees, and slam hard on the ground. The guy stood up, six and a half feet, easily with a grenade launcher ready to go.**

" **Ming! I heard fighting and…" the big guy looked at Madeline, "Who's this?"**

" **My partner," said Ming sweetly.**

" **Oh…" he said downcast.**

" **Care to join us?" offered Madeline, "We could all be on the same team."**

 **The guy looked at her, then to Ming, then back to her. He got Madeline by the shoulders, making her tense in fright. What she wasn't prepared for was the comical crying face he made.**

" **Thank you so much for letting me join your team. I'll follow you forever!" he said.**

"E-Even in this universe… Jaune is so kind and generous… that's… why he's our fearless leader," wept Nora happily.

Ren gave Nora a tissue pack that he always had for just such an occasion.

 **Ming peered over to Madeline and smiled at her perplexed expression.**

" **Don't let the size fool you. He's a big softie under it all," she said.**

" **No problem," she said, "Um… I'm Madeline Arc, by the way."**

" **Torden Valkyrie," the big guy crowed as he let her go, "Fully awake, and ready for duty!"**

 **The girl approached her next.**

" **I'm Ming Ren, partner."**

 **They shook hands.**

 **Rustle! Snap!**

 **Madeline lifted her shield and spun to face… a blur of red that collapsed onto itself. She took a look at the green-eyed red head that looked up at her.**

" **Pyrsos?"**

 **The boy from earlier quickly dusted himself off of the ground, and tried to make himself more presentable.**

" **Hello again… Ms. Madeline."**

" **Um, hello," she replied.**

" **I noticed tracks, and pursued to find you here… with friends it seems," he said.**

 **Before Madeline could say anything, Torden strode forward, and looked down at the shorter guy. He turned to face Madeline shortly thereafter.**

" **He a friend of yours?" he asked.**

" **Yes, actually," said the blonde girl.**

 **Pyrsos stood up a little straighter, and looked at the ginger-haired man. The man smiled, and clapped a hand on Pyrsos' shoulder.**

" **Looks like we're partners on Madeline's team," he declared.**

" **I guess we are," Pyrsos replied pleasantly.**

" **Torden" he said grabbing his new partner's wrist and whipping it into a forceful handshake.**

" **P-p-y-r-sos…!" sputtered the red head.**

 **Torden stopped shaking the hand when he got a look at his partner's weapon.**

" **You any good with that toothpick?" asked Torden.**

" **T-Toothpick?!" cried out Pyrsos, "I can do more with this than you could do with that glorified paper weight."**

 **Torden stared Iroas dead in the eye before he laughed heartily.**

" **Oh, so there's some backbone in that little body! You and I will get along great," he proclaimed before he wrapped his new partner in a one arm bear hug, "Come partner! Let us follow our leader into glory and victory. We shall strip the Grimm of their flesh, and drink spirits from their skulls!"**

" **Th-That sounds grand…" Iroas got out.**

" **Is he always like this?" asked Madeline.**

" **Just see him in battle. You'll be glad he's with us," she replied.**

"Wow…" sighed Nora, "Could you imagine us as partners Pyrrha. We'd steamroll everyone who stood in our path!"

Pyrrha chuckled nervously.

"Oh… I bet we would," she said.

Ren gave her a look of sympathy for her thoughts. Glynda and Ozpin meanwhile counted their blessings that Nora wasn't as gung-ho about fighting like her male variant seemed. The insurance alone would be a nightmare.

 **The team of four journeyed north, with virtually no opposition.**

" **We would have gotten faster if we followed my idea to ride the Ursa to the temple."**

" **Torden, no," said Ming, "If you did that, we would have gotten separated from the others. This way, we all get there together."**

 _ **SHRIEK!**_

" **Looks like we aren't only ones here," commented Pyrsos.**

 **Madeline looked across the field to see two people staring up at the sky, ready to spring into action. It was Yang from last night along with two other guys she recognized: Blake and Rufus. All three were looking up, and Madeline looked up as well. There was a giant Nevermore disintegrating, and something white falling from the sky… screaming?**

"Huh… why didn't you kill the nevermore? I mean, you were literally at the underbelly," asked Ruby.

"Maybe it was because I was terrified, especially when the person who somehow convinced me to hitch a ride on one just abandoned me. Besides, everyone was there beneath me. Why didn't you help?"

"Jaune caught you," said Yang.

"He… yes, he did," whispered Weiss.

"In light of this new information," began Glynda, "My suggestion for you Ms. Schnee would be do take advantage of your position when you can. Ms Rose is correct. You could have weakened, if not killed the nevermore, making your flight to the cliff less of a hassle. As for the others who merely watched, help people if you can, and don't stand with your heads in the clouds."

"Yes, Ms. Goodwitch," they all said.

" **We've got to do something."**

" **On it," said Pyrsos.**

 **The Mistrali champion drew his sword, and spun it before the handle jutted out to form a spear. He raised a thumb with his free hand, following the falling figure, calculating trajectory…**

 **Boom!**

 **The spear literally rocketed out his hand as he threw it, and it quickly pinned the target to a nearby tree.**

" **Wow, you're amazing Pyrsos," declared Madeling.**

 **Iroas blushed at the praise.**

" **Meh… i-it was nothing," he stammered out.**

" **Smooth," teased Torden.**

 **The champion growled.**

 **Madeline ignored their banter, and made her way to the figure in white. It was Dover Schnee from before. Rufus ran up to him as well, and pulled the spear from the tree.**

" **Oh goodness Dover, are you alright?" she asked.**

 **Dover's eyes fluttered open, and took her into his sight.**

"… **An angel?" he asked.**

Weiss went paler than everyone thought possible, but Pyrrha and Yang burst out into uncontrollable laughter. Ruby, Blake, Nora, and Ren laughed as well **.**

 **Madeline flushed a little, but sighed.**

" **Well if you're hallucinating, then you're alive," Madeline said.**

"That's cold," said Qrow.

Ironwood nodded when he recalled a similar experience with Glynda from their youth.

" **See Dover, and you said taking the scenic route was a bad idea," replied Rufus.**

" **It… was a bad idea," said Dover as he got to his feet.**

" **We landed," said Rufus.**

" **No thanks to you," said Dover.**

" **Alright, you guys can flirt later," said Madeline, which got the two boys to sputter.**

 **Pyrsos and the rest of her team arrived, and Rufus gave him his weapon back. Afterward, the eight of them joined together at the temple.**

" **Blake and I already got our artifacts," said Yang.**

 **The black and yellow duo held up a black knight piece.**

" **Well, I promised Torden and Ming that they could be on the same team together with me," said Madeline who saw a pair of rooks, "One for each pair."**

 **She took them both and tossed one to Torden.**

" **Guess we get the last piece, partner," smirked Rufus, as they got the black knight.**

 **Dover couldn't help but groan at the title.**

"It's all coming back," sighed Weiss.

"What would you do without me?" said Ruby sarcastically, though with a hint of mirth.

Weiss snorted playfully.

"Probably be moved up a year, but then who would carry you all to sophomore year," she said.

"Aww, we love you too Weiss," said Yang, playfully, and sincerely.

 **A howl cut across the silence, and the eight of them saw a large pack of beowolves lead by a large alpha.**

" **That's a lot of beowolves," said Madeline nervously.**

" **They must have been drawn when Dover was freaking out with the Nevermore, and falling," said Rufus.**

" **That wouldn't have happened if you didn't decide to get 'creative' with getting to the temple," snapped Dover.**

" **Sure… keep arguing. There aren't enough Grimm already," muttered Blake.**

" **NO, there aren't!" declared Torden with a manic smile.**

 **He pulled out his weapon, and took aim. Torden lobbed a series of grenades at the approaching pack, and their bloodthirsty charge was disrupted by the explosions.**

" **To glory!" declared Torden, who morphed into Nora's hammer with one key difference. It wasn't a mere war hammer; it had spikes on the ends, "Come partner, to victory."**

" **Wait," said Rufus, "We're too out in the open. Even if we work together, we'll be overwhelmed."**

" **I agree," said Madeline.**

 **Rufus was surprised that Madeline would agree with him.**

" **If we had more shield, or defense oriented fighters, we could certainly hold for a time. However, our composition is mostly that of one-on-one skirmishers and fighters. We have our relics, and if I recall correctly, there's a ruin near the cliffs that will be in our favor should the pack catch up and fight."**

" **I second that notion," said Dover, "We've acquired the target, now let's just finish the mission."**

" **Oh, I wanted a fight," said Torden.**

" **Oh, we're going to fight," said Madeline.**

 **That got everyone's attention.**

" **Beowolves are fast. They'll catch up to us on foot in no time. My team will be rearguard, you guys secure entry to the ruins," said Madeline.**

"Good assessments from Mr. Rose, and Ms. Arc," said Glynda, "Due to their mobility, beowolf packs can be deadly in an open field. Since Arc's team has fighters that can tank, they can make for a formidable rear guard."

" **Won't they overwhelm you?" asked Yang.**

" **We've got two shields, a skirmisher, and judging by that maul a bruiser. We're the best bet to hold the rear guard," explained Madeline in a voice that brooked no question.**

 **Rufus nodded.**

" **I'll keep you covered with sniper fire from time to time. Just in case they try to sneak up on you," said Rufus.**

 **Madeline nodded.**

"Good to see you two getting along now?" asked Yang.

"Yes," said Ruby with relief.

 **The howls of the beolwolves could be heard.**

" **Move now," she said, and all eight broke for the ruins. Rufus, Yang, Blake, and Dover were in the front, while Madeline and her group were in back, "Pyrsos, to the center with me, Torden, you and Ming go in the middle between us and Rufus' group. Lob grenades when you can, and hammer them when they close in. Ming you take your shots at that point to. We'll cover you both."**

" **You got it boss," said Torden.**

" **Yes, ma'am," said Ming.**

 **The sounds of the pack bagan to get louder, and she looked over to Pyrsos, who nodded to her.**

" **On my signal," she began. Torden, Ming, Pyrsos, and even Rufus further up began to reach for their weapons.**

 **The sound of snapping jaws not too far off.**

" **NOW!"**

 **Pyrsos and Madeline drew sword and shield, and spun to bash. Their shields got acquainted with two beowolves' snouts before they began to hack and slash at all the ones after them. Torden leapt over the two, and landed a good fifteen feet front of them. He swung his maul, driving the blunt force of his weapons mass, and spikes at the end into any unfortunate grimm to dare get caught. Some of the beowolves began to move for the flanks of the two students that were tanking and holding the line, but Ming would move, quick as lightning to gun and cut down any enemies with her two bladed SMGs. The ones the martial artist couldn't get to were quickly shot down by Rufus with his scythe's rifle. The sheer power of the bullet tore holes into the grimm, and the unfortunate ones that didn't die wailed in pain as they tried to crawl away.**

"Look at us go!" cried out Nora.

"Damn that's a sexy formation. Don't you love it when a plan comes together like that," said Coco.

"That's Jaune. Coming up with the plan we need when we need it," said Pyrrha.

"Improvised planning is good in a tight situation, but it shouldn't be his sole focus. I'd suggest he study more disciplined tactical theories to bolster his knowledge," said Ironwood.

Ozpin would be sure to remember the suggestion.

" **We're at the ruins!" shouted Dover, as he and the two others got to the causeway.**

" **Madeline, you and the others fall back, I'll cover you!" said Rufus.**

" **The road home's clear, fall back!" ordered Madeline.**

" **Not until I leave them a present!" said Torden, who slammed his hammer into the ground.**

 **Torden spun, dragging the maul and as much dirt, dust and rock before swinging. He clicked a button on the handle, and the spikes of the maul shot out with just a bit of Torden's electrical semblance imbued into it. A powerful way of earth, with arcs of electricity bouncing off the sharpened metal lacerated, shocked, and pushed the pack back, and the rearguard beat feet to retreat.**

"I have got to upgrade my hammer! Ruby you'll help me, right?" asked Nora.

Ruby's eyes sparkled, and Yang and Ren felt a chill in the air. The ideas of upgrading their weapons was commendable, but they'd have to find some way to keep those two in check.

 **It was a smooth run, and when they got to the causeway, and started to cross, Dover erected a wall of jagged ice to halt any form of pursuit. The eight teens took a moment to catch their breaths, and bask in their victory. They were about to move on when they heard a ragged huff from beyond the ice, followed by scratches and cracks until finally, a blur of black, white, and glowing red eyes leapt over them, and onto the causeway before it faced them with a mighty roar.**

" **Out of the way!" said Yang, pumping rounds into his double-barrel shotgun gauntlets.**

"Double-barrels?" said Yang, intrigued.

"Ooh, Yang we can upgrade your weapon too!" squealed Ruby with delight.

"I'll… think about it," said Yang, a little freighted.

That last time she said her sweet baby sister could help upgrade her weapon, she was out with friends, and came back to find a boomerang launcher attached to the right guantlet. Why and how didn't matter, she never let Ruby tinker with her weapon after that.

" **Wait," said Dover, "That causeway turns this into a one on one situation."**

" **Then we keep our distance," said Rufus.**

 **He took a shot with Blooming Rose, but the alpha crouch in on itself, turning the plates on its body into a form of sloped armor that made the round bounce off. The creature gave another roar, and suddenly they heard a sick, squelch noise against the ice. Then another and another. Ming used the blades on her guns like ice picks and began to climb, when she got to the top, she could see the pack throw themselves onto the spikes of the wall. The creatures tried to make their impalement as non-fatal as possible, and the ones that succeeded used themselves as literal stepping stones for the ones behind them.**

" **They're throwing themselves onto the spikes to climb over the wall. We need to move, now," cried out Ming.**

" **Ideas?" asked Madeline.**

 **Rufus looked at the situation, and came up with a plan.**

" **Madeline, you and your team hold off the enemies that climb over the wall. We'll deal with the alpha," said Rufus.**

" **How do you propose that?" asked Dover.**

" **Oh, trust me… I've got this," said Rufus confidently.**

 **Dover gave him a silent stare, before he drew his rapier.**

" **If this winds up like with the nevermore…" the Schnee muttered, "So, what do you have in mind. That beowulf is using the same tactic we would have used if the pack pursued us to this point.**

" **We can't flank or surround, that's true. But his movement is limited also. I can try to launch myself over the alpha and get behind, but that will give away the plan.**

" **My weapon can double as a grappling hook," said Blake, "I'll swing around him.**

 **Rufus nodded.**

" **Alright, we need to time this right. Yang, charge in headfirst. Keep it occupied and focused on you. Blake, swing around behind it. As soon as you do, harass it. Keep in confused. Dover, climb onto my back. I'll launch us into the air, and you freeze it from above."**

"Unorthodox," commented Ironwood.

"Creative," countered Qrow.

" **That sounds insane… but it can work," said Dover.**

" **Let's do this," said Yang.**

" **Ready," said Blake.**

" **Let's get to it!" said Rufus.**

 **As they four boys moved ahead with their plan. Madeline and the other picked off the odd straggler that climbed over Dover's battlements.**

 **Yang lunged forward, and tried to do the bob and weave his dad showed him for confined spaces. The alpha was big though. For every step it took forward, he had to take two or three back to keep from getting knocked off the causeway. Yang shot off the gauntlets from time to time at the creature's body. Unlike his brother's ammunition, Yang's could deal with the armor or at least weaken it for the few blows he was brave enough to sneak in. It also delivered pain to the creature to slow its movements.**

 **The alpha thoroughly distracted, Blake leapt off the causeway. He cast a clone to leap up, and his keen eyes saw a point in the underside of the causeway that looked stable enough. He threw Gambol Shroud by the strap and the weapon dug in. Blake swung from beneath, and cast another clone off to the side of the bridge, and found himself above the alpha. He pulled the strap of his weapon, and with the grip and his trigger soon back in his hand, delivered a few rounds from above and behind the creature.**

 **The alpha turned around, and for a moment, seemed to panic at finding itself between two fronts. A loud bang went off, and the alpha looked around in confusion. Blake too the opportunity to sling his weapon at the creature's legs and pulled. The Beowulf lost balance, and Yang lunged in to deliver a punch down the creature's muzzle to stun it before it hit the ground hard. A white glyph suddenly appeared beneath the creature, and its angry red eyes peered up to see red and white above him several meters in the air and in free fall. Before it could roar in fury, it was encased in ice.**

" **Get to the main ruin," shouted Rufus.**

 **Dover formed a glyph beneath him and to the main structure further behind Blake.**

" **Move guys, get off the bridge!"**

 **The remaining six prospects ran across the cause way. Five of whom leapt over the frozen beowolf alpha. The battlements Dover had set up were soon overwhelmed, and Rufus landed a yard behind the alpha with the gun barrel on the ground.**

" **It's been fun guys, but we're running late."**

 **He pulled the trigger.**

 **Blooming Rose delivered a powerful blast to the causeway, cracking it through to the bottom of the bridge, and lifting him into the air. The weight of all the beowolves, and block of ice that was now the alpha crumbled the narrow walkway to the ruin-proper and they all plummeted into the ravine. Rufus safely landed in front of the other seven.**

" **Whoa," said Madeline.**

" **Well, that was a thing," said Yang.**

"Just like ours," said Yang.

"What matters is that we succeeded. Us and them," said Weiss.

"Good thing too," said Blake.

 **As they walked through the ruins and toward the cliff. Madeline caught up to Rufus, who seemed to lead them all.**

" **That was a great plan to deal with the alpha," said Madeline, "Back home, you'd be the talk of every huntsman family if they saw what you pulled."**

" **Really?" asked Rufus.**

" **Yeah…" she replied.**

"…"

"…"

" **Your plan was cool too. I thought you were really brave taking up the rearguard," said Rufus.**

" **You think so?" asked Madeline.**

" **Yeah, I do…" said Rufus before he stopped walking.**

 **Everyone followed suit, and Madeline turned to see what was up.**

" **Madeline… I'm sorry about earlier. When we met," he began, which caused the girl's eyes to widen in surprise, "I'm sorry if my earlier comments offended you. I want to start over, and hope you do too so that we can be friends. Please?"**

 **Madeline considered Rufus' words. He didn't seem to be lying, and when she looked to Yang, he nodded to confirm her brother's intentions. She remembered the words of Rufus' brother, and nodded.**

" **Alright, but only if you accept my apology too. I did react poorly to your words. Please understand that I only did so because, well, this sword practically built and fed the Arc family for generations. I don't take kindly to people who don't show proper respect," said Madeline.**

" **Me too!" blurted out Rufus, "I mean, the way you defended your weapon… it sounds like it has quite a history."**

 **Madeline smiled.**

" **It does…" she said softly, "Speaking of which, I'm sorry for calling yours a vanity piece. It's truly remarkable; you must have worked really hard on it."**

" **Sure did…" said Rufus, "Maybe we can talk about our weapons later? If you have time, that is."**

 **Madeline nodded.**

" **Sure thing."**

"Yay! We're friends! Oh, I'm so happy it worked out!" cheered Ruby.

RWBY and NPR all were. They couldn't imagine their teams being enemies, though they did still have a friendly rivalry with one another.

 **The teams arrived at Beacon's auditorium. The newly appointed team CDRL left the stage, and Ozpin faced the crowd of sophomore to senior students.**

" **Madeline Arc, Ming Ren, Pyrsos Nikos, and Torden Valkyrie," announced Ozpin, "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forth, you will be known as Team Mint (MMNT), led by Madeline Arc."**

 **Madeline was shocked.**

" **L-Led by…"**

" **Congratulations young lady," said Ozpin as he nodded to her.**

 **Torden engulfed them all in a group hug, and laughed heartily. The left the stage, and watched the last team approach the stage.**

" **And finally, Blake Belladonna, Rufus Rose, Dover Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Raspberry (RSBY), led by Rufus Rose."**

 **Yang moved to give Rufus a congratulatory noogie.**

" **Way to go little bro!"**

" **Looks like things are shaping up to be a… interesting year."**

The screen went black, and everyone tried to process what they just saw.

"Well, that was an interesting trip down memory lane?" said Blake.

"Wow, you initiation was awesome," said Sun, "Haven's was kind of boring."

"What was it?" asked Blake.

"A scavenger hunt throughout Mistral," said Sun, "We're graded and grouped up based on the time we complete it.

"Lame," said Qrow.

"Considereing the nature of Mistral, it must have been quite a challenge. I understand the success rate among applicants is 33%," said Ironwood.

"Oh, it's hard. It just doesn't look as fun as that," said Sun.

"I still can't believe we were men, and Ren and Jaune were girls," said Weiss.

"I know… I looked like dad," shivered Yang.

"Same…" answered Weiss.

"It certainly gives you something to think about," said Pyrrha.

"I know, can you imagine Coco and I as men, or Professor Goodwitch?" asked Velvet

"It would certainly free me of ogling men. Isn't that right, Ms. Xiao Long?"

"It wasn't me!" protested Yang as her uncle laughed.

"I looked awesome as a guy. My abs were glorious. Ren, want to help me beat my guy-self later?" asked Nora.

"When we have time," said Ren.

 **A/N: Well this was a doozy. I felt as though I rushed through it. What do you think.**

 **Now onto Chapter 6, which I hope to finish by Friday or Saturday. The projected publication of Chapter 7 will be in the preview at the end of chapter 6.**

 **I've never written rule 63 before, but the ones I've read always made me curious to try. I did a selected gender swap, instead of a blanket one, like a lot of people sometimes do in other fandoms. It gives me more time to write the actual plot instead of trying to figure out what the characters would wear, and look like. Furthermore, I avoided the usual names I'd find in those stories like Joan Arc, and Lie Rin. I hope you liked this.**

 **Let me know how I did in the reviews.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Rufus is a name, and a latin word that means a "Red."**

 **Dover is a reference to the White Cliffs of Dover, a natural landmark iconic to Great Britain.**

 **Blake and Yang are unisex names, so I kept them.**

 **Torden is from the Norwegian word, meaning thunder. Also reference to Thor.**

 **Pyrs** **ó** **s is from the Greek word for a torch. I thought it would be great as a male name for Pyrrha because I saw it as a reference to the Olympics, the ultimate sports competition, and because it ties into her last name Nikos, which means "victory for/or the people."**

 **Ming is a Chinese word formed by combining the characters for Sun and Moon. It means bright.**

 **Torden's shirt has two purposes. One is to keep him from looking like a red-headed Thor imitation, and to link him to Nora. The other is that it is a reference to the berserker. Berserker comes from a norse word that means "bear shirt," and they wore little to no armor. Since I didn't want to give Torden an actual bear skin-shirt, I went for the next best thing.**

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **Zorro99: Your review was actually a concern I had writing the chapter. I truly appreciate it, though I would argue that when we think of Frankenstein the concept, we think of the monster, and not the doctor. I had hoped that was conveyed. Still, I will consider one of the things you suggested. There are a few other fanfics on I want the viewers to react to after all. One of my frequent reviewers has given me permission at their insistence for it too.**

 **Tobi14: Funny you should mention seeing different versions of Jaune. I have him planned for an anti-hero role in a future chapter. Stay tuned for that.**

 **MatthewReyez: Great suggestion. I won't have the entire cast watching, but there are a few other characters I want to throw in, but it's not time yet.**

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: God of War (Review suggestion) 5/12-13/2018**


	6. God of War: The Test

**This was supposed to be up by 3:00 AM… but I fell asleep.**

 **Anyway,** _ **God of War**_ **on Mother's Day; talk about a weird combination.**

 **Ok, so I debated how far I could go in terms of the violence with this chapter. Admittedly, God of War 4 has significantly less blood, guts, and gore than the original three games that I played, but it's still God of War, and some of the scenes are still pretty brutal. I say this because I may have to up the rating after this chapter, but we'll see.**

 **It's actually a good thing I will have a brief hiatus on this story until June. I went over the last chapter, and all the other chapters. So many grammar mistakes, repeated phrases, and old names from the gender swap I missed while editing. There are probably a few here also. I gotta fix those.**

 **Another long chapter, by the way, but I hope an entertaining one as well.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **God of War**_ **is the work of Santa Monica Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment.**

Chapter 6 – The Test

"You gotta admit, it was kind of funny," said Qrow.

"It was not. Of all the things I've been called…" said Glynda, drinking a martini from the magic kitchen that even had her preferred gin.

"Think of it as a compliment for a mature woman like yourself," said Qrow.

"Are you implying I'm old, Qrow?" said Glynda with a keen edge in her voice.

"Uncle Qrow!" growled Yang who overheard the conversation, "I am _so_ sorry Professor Goodwitch, really."

That must have been the sixth time her student said that, and she didn't know what would give her a headache more: the constant apologizing, or the memory of the lustful grin of _Mr._ Yang Xiao Long's face.

She downed the rest of her drink, and set the glass on a counter. It magically disappeared, thankfully, and she looked for something to distract her from her Branwen-blooded associates.

"Mr. Archivist, please tell me you're setting up the next one," she said, perhaps too desperately.

Archie nodded and picked up another, but paused when he saw it.

"I'm surprised this one is even here," he muttered in surprise.

"Why?" asked Blake.

No one could see his face, but they had a feeling he had an expression of hesitation beneath the hood.

"It's a volume of the future… well a _potential_ future," said Archie.

"Potential future…?" asked Pyrrha, "As in Jaune's actual future?"

"A _potential_ one," Archie reiterated, "Normally as an archivist, even in the situation that you all find yourselves in now, I would try to prevent you from seeing into a future. It could derail you and your archives, since you could gain… ideas."

"The dangers of prophecy…" suggested Ozpin.

"Precisely so," said Archie.

"Couldn't you just return it to the archive…?" asked Weiss.

"No…" said Archie before he tried to put it down the return slot to prove his statement. It wouldn't go in, "While this is my hub, Lord Aeon is the Archive's master. If this is here, it is because he wishes it to be here, and for you to see."

"Then, let's see it," said Coco, "I mean we'll have to watch it eventually. Might as well do it now."

"…Very well," said Archie before he slid it into the VHS.

"I wonder what it will be…" said Pyrrha excited.

"Thinkin' you and Jauney have a big house with ten kids?" asked Nora.

"T-Ten…?!"

"The guy's got seven sisters, and I know how competitive you are? You might want to outdo Mrs. Arc," Nora said as she wagged her eyebrows.

"That's too many…!" Pyrrha's face turned as red as her hair.

The room went dark…

 **In a snow covered forest, Jaune stood before a tree, with a two fist dents. His once shaggy hair was completely buzzed off into a butch cut, and he had a long bushy beard. For clothes, he wore only wrist wrappings, pants, and thick heavy boots. Gone was the steel armor from his youth. Instead he wore a thick leather pauldron with bearskin covering his back held in place by a thick belt strap that wrapped around his torso. His eyes, once brilliant blue, now were muted in their color. He sported an impressive figure of muscle, despite his age, and had red markings on his face and body. He hefted a large wood axe in his hand, and on his belt hung a pouch and a gauntlet.**

"You sure about that Pyrrha?" teased Yang, "With a body like that… ten might be too little."

"I'll say…" said Velvet, who discreetly rubbed her thighs together.

Pyrrha nodded dumbly, along with almost every other girl except Ruby.

"His eyes…" she began, "They look…"

"Old," finished Glynda.

"Yeah, that," she said.

"Judging by that scar on his abdomen, and those burns, Mr. Arc appears to have been through a lot," commented Ironwood.

Everyone squinted, and the tell-tale signs of healed scar tissue was on his abs, and the red marks along his chest and face were old burns. They had healed, but the redness was still there.

'Looks like he fought a war…" said Sun.

The adults in the room tensed at the statement. They all wondered if the Queen made her move in the future.

 **Jaune leaned forward to the tree, particularly to the two dents in the bark, and caressed the larger of the two gingerly with his hands. He closed his eyes, and he saw golden hair and lilac eyes. He heard a laughter full of mischief, and saw a smile brighter than a summer afternoon. For a moment, he could taste strawberry on his lips… the same flavor he tasted from that kiss all those years ago, before they both punched the tree together in lieu of a wedding.**

"Golden hair and lilac eyes…?" asked Ruby.

"Wedding…?" Asked Weiss.

Pyrrha's heart stilled… there was only one girl they knew that matched the description.

The three girls looked to Yang, who now had a nervous expression on her face.

 **His eyes opened, and he stood up and hefted the axe in his hands. He took aim and swung.**

 **Thunk!**

 _ **He heard sweet whispers…**_

 **Thunk!**

 _ **He heard laughter…**_

 **Thunk!**

 _ **He remembered the feeling of her comforting arms, her soft but strong hands sliding along his scalp, as she pulled him down to kiss him.**_

 **Thunk!**

 _ **He opened his eyes when the kiss ended, and he saw Yang's dazzling eyes and smile.**_

"Yang?!" Pyrrha shouted as her suspicions were confirmed.

Yang was speechless.

Her older self was beautiful; stunning. She had gotten taller, with a prosthetic right arm. She wore brown outdoor pants that were slightly baggy, a white, long-sleeve shirt that hugged her upper body, and wore a yellow scarf. It was a simple appearance, but given the setting, one that seemed to fit. Qrow had to keep himself from choking up as well. The color scheme aside, his niece was the spitting image of her mother, but with Tai's hair and a demeanor similar to Summer's, with kind eyes to match.

" _ **I love you… you lug…" she said.**_

" **ARRRGH!" roared Jaune.**

 **THUNK!**

 **The tree fell with a crash, and Jaune huffed before hoisting the axe to a holder on his armor's back.**

"Me… and Jaune?" said Yang finally.

"Well… I did not see that coming," said Blake.

"Indeed, there's little you two have in common, except for the hair," said Weiss.

"Don't get _too_ excited, girls," said Glynda before anyone else can say anything, "Remember, the archivist stated that this was a potential future. I imagine things are not quite so easy to predict, even for the likes of you, Archie."

"No, they are not," replied their keeper.

Almost all the girls calmed down after the two elders spoke, all but Yang, Pyrrha, and Velvet.

Yang started to wonder if she and Jaune actually could be a couple.

'I mean… getting past the dorky attitude, he's pretty easy on the eyes. Not to mention he's already friends with Ruby, quirks and all, and he is getting stronger…' thought Yang.

Pyrrha and Velvet decided to watch this further, but with the goal of finding clues to see how Jaune came to love Yang. Perhaps they could emulate her just enough to attract their crush's attention before showing off their stuff.

"That tree looked pretty important to him… well, both of them. Why'd he cut it down?" asked Sun.

The three girls wondered as well.

 **Jaune approached the tree solemnly, and reached out to stroke it when some of the wrappings on his wrist fell loose.**

"Whoa… those burns are worse than the ones on his chest and face," said Coco.

Indeed, the skin that could be seen through the wrappings looked permanently red, and though it healed, it still looked terrible.

 **Jaune stroked the burn, and closed his eyes as his memory stirred.**

 _ **Ruby was down on the ground before a woman in black with ivory hair, blood red eyes, ghostly white skin with black veins along the face.**_

Ozpin, Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood's hearts stilled at the sight of the woman.

"Whoa, who's that?" asked Nora, on edge.

They were all on edge, Ruby especially. Something about the woman made her eyes itch.

 _ **The mystery woman raised her hand to form a powerful ball of fire, and burn the downed girl. The flame was unleashed, but Jaune came in the nick of time, shield raised… and heat washed all around him.**_

"Jaune!" cried out 'Ruby as she saw her friend take the hit for her.

"Calm yourself, Ms. Rose. Clearly Mr. Arc is alive, and has a future," Ozpin said.

"At what cost, I wonder," said Ironwood.

 **His burns… remnants of his youth. Reminders of his failures and shortcomings. Reminders of the losses he suffered. He remembered the fire heat his shield, hotter than anything fire dust could have mustered. The flames had spilled over the bulwark and burned parts of his body. It was only thanks to his semblance that he didn't get cooked alive.**

"I guess the shield didn't stop all of the fire," said Ren.

"It must have hurt when it first happened," commented Weiss, as her hand stroked her own scar.

"Well, so long as he had us, we would have helped him through it," said Ruby optimistically.

"That does not look like a man who was helped through it. More like one who's dealing," said Blake.

"How do you know?" asked Velvet.

"I've seen that look before on… people I used to work with," said Blake.

"Ren… what do you think?" asked Pyrrha worried.

"…Let's watch. It may shed light," was all he said.

 **Jaune grasped the loose binding and pulled it taut. Seeing the scars made him angry which was not a good thing at the moment since…**

" **I found some," said a young voice behind him.**

 **He glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes saw a young girl. She was ten years old with wild jet-black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. What struck him the most was her face though; it was the spitting image of Yang.**

Qrow took some effort to swallow his drink.

"Well… I suppose congratulations are in order, Ms. Xiao Long," said Ozpin.

"I'm a mom?!" Yang gasped.

"I'm an aunt!" cheered Ruby.

"Branwen hair, Ms. Xiao Long's face, Mr. Arc's eyes…" noted Glynda.

Yang performed the greatest imitation of a koi fish known to all mankind, while Pyrrha seemed ready to perform the greatest imitation of roughly played accordion.

"Ooh, she's so cute! I wonder what her name is!" gushed Nora.

Pyrrha looked to Nora with a betrayed look on her face.

 **Jaune made an effort to hide his arm. He could hear the girl walk around to see, but he matched his back to her movements.**

" **Get in the boat, girl," grunted Jaune, keeping his emotions in check.**

 **The girl nodded, and ran off toward the river as he tied off the bindings. Jaune tapped into his aura, and his body briefly glowed before the illumination faded. He then bent down and lifted up the entire tree and hoisted it over his shoulder.**

"Whoa… Yang, you lucky girl," said Coco.

Yang was in awe of how strong Jaune was. It took a moment for Coco's words to fully register with her brain. Afterward, she tapped beneath her nose to make sure it wasn't bleeding.

 **The girl ran up to him, and followed him to the river.**

" **Still want me to tie it to the boat?" the girl asked.**

 **Jaune nodded and moved to the nearby dock. There, he placed the tree onto the platform, and sank a hook at the end of a rope into the wood.**

" **Girl…" he said before tossing her the other end of the line.**

 **The girl, who was now in the boat, tied it using the knot Jaune taught her.**

" **That is enough," Jaune said as he watched her progress.**

"He's pretty cold to her," said Blake.

"No way. This is Jaune, he loves kids," said Nora.

 **The girl made room for him, and moved toward the small boat's bow to untie the rope holding their boat to the dock. Jaune settled in the back, and grabbed the oar that was resting in their small vessel. He used it to push the boat away from the bank when the girl sat down, and began to paddle down the river.**

" **Father?" the girl began.**

" **What?" Jaune said.**

" **Did something change? The forest feels different now," said the girl.**

" **Everything is different girl. Try not to dwell on it," Jaune said calmly.**

" **Yes, sir," she replied.**

"You're right, Blake, they don't seem very close to each other," said Velvet.

"I wonder why…" said Yang quietly.

Jaune's teammates wanted to answer, but had nothing. They had no further info other than what they were seeing. But they all thought there had to be a reason though.

 **The two sat in silence until they pulled up to another dock. The girl tied the boat to one of the posts while Jaune got out and pulled the tug line to get the tree closer to the shore. He unlatched the hook, and hoisted the tree over his shoulder once more before the duo went up the hill. They eventually came upon a homestead with a bed of logs arranged in the front. Jaune set the log down, and drew his axe.**

" **That was the last," he said, before he started to chop.**

"A bed of logs…?" suggested Weiss.

 **While Jaune cut, the girl moved to the cabin, and stopped at the door. Her blue eyes closed, her lips trembled for a moment, but she steeled herself. She pushed the door open.**

Yang's breath hitched at the sight, followed by everyone else.

 **In the middle of the room was a long bundle of linen, bound with care and with flowers laid upon it. In the middle bindings of the bundle was a hunting knife that held the central binding in place.**

"…No, Weiss" breathed out Yang, "A pyre."

 **The girl took a nearby candle, and moved toward it. She set the candle down, and pulled out the flowers she plucked earlier. She sprinkled them onto the body, and took a step back.**

" **Hey mom, it's me: Juniper," she whispered.**

"Juniper…" said Yang, testing the name.

She liked it.

"He named his kid after our team…" sniffed Nora.

"…Did something happen to us?" asked Pyrrha.

"Mr. Arc's eyes are ones of loss," said Ozpin, "Many hunters who live as long as he appears to have possess them."

" **Dad's… he's setting up the pyre like you asked for. You won't have to worry about worms…** _ **worming**_ **their way into a coffin…"**

 **Silence was her lone response.**

" **Would you have liked that? I didn't. It was too obvious…" Juniper said with mournful embarrassment.**

No one groaned at the pun like they normally would, and Yang choked out a chuckle.

"It wasn't bad," she whispered.

 **Juniper placed a hand on the body, and tears shone in her eyes**

Yang felt tears of her own as her body shook. It wasn't everyday someone saw their own funeral.

" **I miss you… Mom. I'm want to be brave like you were, but I'm scared," Juniper cried, "I wish you didn't have to go. I wish… I-I wish you didn't have to leave me?"**

Yang lost it, and the tears began to flow in earnest. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake went to comfort her, and Qrow got onto his feet and went to his niece's side.

"Yang… what's wrong?" he asked, more sober than Ruby and Yang had ever seen him.

"S-Summer died… R-Raven left… now me… I'm leaving her. I'm-" she began.

Everyone wanted to let her know that it was okay, but Qrow said it best.

"None of that, you hear," he said, firmly but gently, "Summer… she loved you and Ruby, and would do anything to get home. But good as she was, we can't predict how missions go down. Raven though… you're not her. You're better than her."

It was little comfort to Yang. This whole scene… it was one of the reasons she was hesitant to ever have kids in the first place. She feared she would do to them what her two mothers did to her, unintentional as it may have been in Summer's case.

Qrow decided to sit with his niece and her team for the rest of this, to let her know he was there. They scooted to make room for him.

 **Footsteps could be heard at the door, and Juniper turned to see the dark silhouette of her father standing there. She immediately backed off of her mother's body, and wiped her face as he approached.**

" **She's ready," said Juniper.**

 **Jaune nodded to her, and leaned forward to the linen bundle. He looked at it was sad, resigned eyes before he slid his arms underneath it.**

" **It's over Yang, your burden is finally lifted," said Jaune, "You're free."**

Yang blinked as she tried to calm down from her earlier tears.

"Burden?" she asked, followed by a sniffle.

That got everyone curious.

 **Jaune lifted her up and gently held her close to him, so as not to disturb the bindings and flowers that had been laid upon her body. He marched slowly to the door, and then toward the pyre before he gently laid her on the wooden bundle he had prepared. He fixed the flowers so they were presentable, and hefted his axe.**

 **He knelt to the kindling at the base of the pyre, and grabbed a nearby flint stone. With the axe, he generated sparks until the fuel caught alight, and he stood back and stared at the fire doing its work. Juniper moved forward tepidly and watched her father's impassive stare before she turned to the fire, to the bindings that held her mother's knife.**

 **She moved quickly to grab it, and she plucked it from the bundle. However the fire heated up the blade, and it flowed through the handle as well, which made Juniper quickly drop the knife. She hissed in pain, and saw a red burn mark forming on her right palm. She looked up to see her father's blank face, and she shrunk in on herself.**

" **I'm sorry…" she whimpered.**

 **Jaune knelt to her, and grabbed some snow before he gently took his daughter's hand.**

" **Squeeze," he commanded softly after he placed the snow into her palm.**

"He does care…" said Ruby with relief.

Pyrrha, Velvet, and Yang did so as well. The students seemed worried for Juniper at first when they saw Jaune as a cold older man.

 **His hands glowed a little, and when Juniper opened her palm, the burn was gone.**

"He can heal? Is that his semblance," asked Weiss fascinated.

"That's amazing!" said Ruby.

"I don't think so," said Ren, "There was a glow earlier when he lifted the tree."

"The same glow I saw when I first unlocked Jaune's aura…" said Pyrrha, her memory recalled.

" **This knife…" he began as he picked it up and held it by the blade, "It was hers. Now it is yours."**

 **Juniper looked at it briefly, before she took it.**

"I didn't know you could use knives," said Pyrrha.

"I can't," said Yang.

"Perhaps it's a skill you pick up," suggested Weiss.

"Maybe…" said Yang.

 **Jaune stood and stared at the fire again.**

" **She taught you to hunt?" he asked.**

" **What she learned from you," answered Juniper.**

" **Show me," said Jaune.**

Everyone stared dumbly at what Jaune said.

"The fire's still going, and you want to go hunting?!" Yang cried out in offense.

Even Ruby and Pyrrha were not amused by Jaune's clear lack of priorities.

 **Juniper's eyes snapped to her father's face.**

" **Now?"**

" **Now."**

 **The command was soft, but it did not permit argument either. Juniper turned away slowly before going into the cabin. Jaune took the gauntlet hanging off his belt and slipped it on as he stared into the fire.**

' **I know you wish to mourn, girl,' he thought, 'But I need to see if you're ready…'**

Their earlier indignation was curbed, upon hearing Jaune's reasoning.

"Ready?" asked Nora, "Ready for what?"

"My guess…?" began Qrow, "To see if she can make it out in the woods. I grew up in the wilds. You gotta be tough to live there; knew a lot of people growing up with faces and attitudes like Arc's."

Qrow did leave out those guys were bandits, but he was mostly right. Like his sister wouldn't shut up about, one had to be strong to live out there.

 **He heard his daughter's footsteps, and he took a breath just as he did before battle all those years before.**

" **What're we hunting?" she asked, as she slung a bow over her shoulder with her quiver.**

" _ **You**_ **are hunting deer," said Jaune.**

" **Which way?" she asked.**

" **In the direction of deer," he replied, "This is your hunt. You tell me."**

 **Juniper was quiet for a moment.**

" **Okay…? Uhh… this way!" she said before heading south.**

 **Jaune moved to follow her, his eyes never leaving the pyre. Eventually though he moved away in earnest, and followed Juniper through the woods…**

…

 _ **Yang was not happy with him. The red eyes, and the frown were a clear giveaway. However, the rage was silent; no fiery hair or screaming. Jaune honestly preferred the ones that had fire, since the ones that didn't meant that Yang was going to talk about something complicated.**_

" _ **You need to spend time with her," said Yang.**_

 _ **Jaune looked out the window, and saw Juniper playing with some wood-carved toys.**_

" _ **I… I can't," said Jaune.**_

" _ **She needs her father in her life!" growled Yang, "You can't expect me to do all the raising, can you?"**_

" _ **It's not that," he tried to argue, "I want to as well… I just, I can't."**_

" _ **What are you, scared of a little girl?" Yang asked sarcastically.**_

"…"

 _ **Yang had a look of horror on her face.**_

" _ **Gods… Jaune, you've killed Grimm the size of two story buildings, yet the thought of spending time with Juniper has you scared! Why?"**_

"…"

 _ **Yang stormed off at his lack of an answer…**_

…

"Jaune didn't spend too much time with her, because he was scared?" asked Pyrrha, "That doesn't make sense."

"Why would he be scared of his daughter?" asked Sun.

"We'll probably find out," said Qrow, "Whatever it was though, it's messed up the kid's relationship with her old man.

"What happened to you, Jaune?" asked Yang with equal part of frustration, and concern.

" **Father… why are we doing this now?" Juniper asked, as soon as they left the area of the cabin.**

 **Jaune's thoughts on the past went away at his daughter's voice.**

" **I need to know if you can survive the training," was Jaune's response.**

" **Then I'm going to learn to become a huntress?" she asked, excited.**

" **Depends on you. Hunt."**

 **He followed her, and noticed she stopped.**

" **What did you find?" he asked.**

" **Tracks. Not deer though," she said, "I'll keep looking."**

 **Jaune followed her through streams and trees deeper into the forest. He saw something that his daughter missed: a set of tracks…**

" **Girl," he called, and he heard her steps rapidly approach, "You missed these."**

" **Huh. Close… but also not deer," she said as she got a better look, "See? Tips are too wide. Mountain goat?"**

 **Jaune was impressed.**

" **Your mother taught you well," he said.**

 **Juniper's face fell a little.**

" **Yeah…" she said, a little disappointed.**

 **Jaune frowned at Juniper's reaction, then himself.**

"Too soon…" said Yang.

Everyone watching agreed with her.

 **He followed after Juniper, who was scanning the dirt and foliage for signs of animal activity.**

" **I'll see what's up ahead," she called as she approached a bridge. She stopped halfway across and knelt down.**

" **More tracks?" Jaune asked.**

" **Yeah," she answered, "But they're too round. It could be a boarbatusk, judging by the size."**

" **Good," he said.**

 **Knowing the difference between animal tracks and Grimm tracks was essential to survival in the wilderness.**

"You have no idea…" said Qrow.

"I'm surprised you'd live out in the woods, Yang. You're definitely not the type," said Weiss.

"Maybe it has something to do with what happens in this potential future. I mean people do change. Ren used to be sassy," said Nora.

"You used to be scared and timid," replied Ren.

"See? Sas- Wait! Ren, how could you?!" cried out Nora.

Yang was interested if this would show the change she went through. Weiss was right. Even though she lived in a cabin in Patch, her family weren't exactly woodsy people.

 **Juniper ran up ahead to the next bridge, but skidded to a stop. Jaune ran ahead to make sure she didn't find a threat.**

" **Oop. Now what?" she asked.**

 **The bridge was out due to a collapse, but it was not insurmountable. Jaune approached the edge and leapt over the gap easily.**

" **This way, girl," said Jaune.**

 **Juniper backed up, and ran to the gap and leapt. The landing was far from elegant, and she almost tripped upon landing. As she skidded forward, she saw what she was looking for.**

" **Wait. Deer tracks. They're fresh," she waved him over, "This way."**

 **Juniper broke out into a run as she followed the trail. He followed her and after he vaulted the same log she did, he heard the snap of a twig in the woods. Juniper nearly bumped into a large stag that tore through the foliage.**

" **Aaah!" she cried out.**

"A Mantle Clawhorn," said Ironwood, "So they live in the forests of the Great Snow Sea, north of Atlas. I'm surprised they'd risk living there."

"Why?" asked Glynda.

"It's Mantle's last frontier," said Ironwood, "It's largely inhospitable, but there are people who brave that frozen hellhole. Mostly the kind that don't want to be found."

"Don't want to be found…?" asked Yang.

 **The stag screeched a little in surprise and took off.**

" **Found it!" she yelled before running after it.**

" **Slow down, girl!" Jaune ordered in a calm, commanding voice.**

" **Sorry," she said as she stopped running.**

" **You are** _ **hunting**_ **deer – not chasing it," Jaune reiterated.**

" **Yes, father," Juniper replied.**

"Reminds me of my first hunting lessons," said Qrow, "Chase the prey, it gets away. Stalk it, and you'll bag it."

"I'm not sure I could go hunting," said Ruby.

"You kill grimm, kiddo. How can you not hunt?" Qrow asked his niece dumbfounded.

"It's one thing to hunt grimm, but adorable animals…?"

"It's food," he countered simply.

Ruby shivered.

 **They followed the new trail left by the quarry, and found themselves before another bridge that the deer tore through. Part of it collapsed, and the bridge sign fell to block the path at the end.**

" **He broke our bridge," Juniper said, "How are we going to get across?"**

" **Step aside," said Jaune.**

 **The girl did, and Jaune got out his axe. He held it at the haft, prepared to throw, and the axe flashed white.**

 **He threw it, and it cleaved the obstacle and instantly shattered it.**

" **Whoa, how did you do that?" asked Juniper.**

" **My semblance; aura amplification," he explained, "I can use my raw aura to strengthen others, or myself and my weapons."**

" **Sounds neat," said Juniper.**

"So that's what it is!" said Pyrrha, "That must be how he was able to heal Juniper's burn. He used his aura to boost her natural healing capabilities."

"Ooh, and that universe where you had your gender's swapped. There was that glow before Madeline crashed through the forest," said Sun.

"And lifted that big hulking tree," added Coco.

"If he can boost up other people… wow, if he did that in the tournament, we could sail through the first two rounds!" said Nora.

"Unless you go up against us," said Weiss.

Weiss wasn't normally one to respond to something like that, but given how quiet Yang was, someone had to.

" **It can do more things as well. Things like…" he held his hand out, and the axe flew right back to him, "… this."**

" **Whoa," she said "How?"**

"How?!" everyone added, even Yang.

" **I imbued it with my aura. It's a part of me, but for a limited time. The aura slowly leaves the object once I throw it. If I wait too long, I have to look for it," he explained, "Enough talk. Let's keep moving."**

"So cool!" said Ruby.

"Like Space Knights 2!" said Sun.

"You mean the scene where Sora was hanging upside down in the coral cave?" asked Weiss.

Sun, Ruby, and Blake looked at the heiress.

"What?" she asked.

"You watched Space Knights?" asked Ruby.

"I can appreciate a good movie," Weiss replied.

"…We have a lot to talk about, especially the prequels," said Blake.

Weiss shivered at that thought of the prequels.

 **Juniper nodded at her father's command, and ran back to leap over the gap of the bridge. Jaune followed soon after, and continued on the trail.**

" **There it is!" said Juniper quietly.**

 **The deer was in view, but it looked in their direction. She quickly drew her bow**

" **HOLD," hissed Jaune.**

 **Juniper loosed the arrow… over the deer's head. The animal cried out in shock, and pranced away into the forest. Juniper kicked the ground in frustration, but was shocked when Jaune grabbed the bow and yanked it angrily away from her hand.**

" **What are you doing?" he yelled, "Now its guard is up! Only fire…"**

 **The deer screeched out, breaking his thought. Juniper looked scared, and stared into the ground in shame.**

 **Jaune growled, but took a breath.**

" **Only fire," he began more calmly, but still irritated, "when I tell you to fire."**

"What the hell Jaune?!" shouted Yang at the screen.

She wanted to punch him, but Qrow grabbed her arm.

"Uncle Qrow, let go!"

"And do what? Watch you punch someone who isn't there?"

Yang's eyes glowed red for a moment, but Qrow had an unimpressed look on his face.

"Yang…" he began, "Look at the screen, what do you see?"

"A jerk who's going to get a knuckle sandwich, and a higher singing voice when I'm done with him."

"Wrong, look and _think_ ," said Qrow.

Yang did so reluctantly.

"My kid looking scared, and Jaune looking way too pissed for a simple mistake," said Yang.

"Snow," said Qrow.

"Snow?" said Yang flatly.

"Don't know if you've ever been up north, but the winters in Mantle are harsh. Grimm have been known to freeze to death from the temperature drop after sunset, even in the early spring," began Qrow, "When it gets cold, food gets scare, and animals like deer go to where they can get more. Mantle's winters are worse than Anima's and what you call a 'simple mistake,' can mean days or weeks of your kid going hungry."

Yang quietly looked down. She hadn't thought of that; she just saw Juniper looking scared and she moved.

"I don't know what you might be feeling firecracker, but as someone who's lived the life that guy and his kid are living, they can't afford to make mistakes like that. Now sit down," said Qrow.

Yang reluctantly did, and watched.

" **I'm sorry…" said Juniper.**

" **Do not be sorry," said Jaune, "Be better. Find it."**

 **Juniper reached for her bow, but Jaune pulled it away and slung it over his shoulder.**

" **Find. It," he ordered.**

Yang growled.

"Tough love, kid," said Qrow, "If he was really angry, he wouldn't give her another chance. Well, that's what my mentor in hunting would do if he was pissed."

"Jaune…" said Pyrrha sadly.

All those closest to him felt that way, shocked at what their friend grew to become.

 **Juniper looked angry, but held her tongue. She ventured further into the forest, after the stag that ran off, and Jaune followed behind. Frustrated as he might have been, he wouldn't let his unarmed daughter out of his sight.**

 **They found themselves in a clearing when they heard growling, suddenly a large beowolf appeared, and leered at Juniper.**

Yang's breath caught in her throat.

" **My bow!" Juniper called.**

" **No!" said Jaune, his voice catching the beowolf's attention, "You are not ready – stay back!"**

 **He got out the axe, and imbued it with his aura. Jaune lunged at the creature with controlled blows toward the shoulders, and chest area. He was far stronger than he was in his youth, and unlike other huntsmen and huntresses he had seen in recent years, he kept pushing himself.**

 **The axe cleaved through the beowolf's shoulder down to its stomach, and he ruthlessly pulled the axe back down harder, tearing the beowolf in half with his weapon.**

" **Father, above you!"**

 **He looked up, and saw a beowolf climb up from behind a stone to the left, and another to the right. Jaune decided to deal with the one on the right first, since it was closest to his daughter, and he threw the axe at the creature's neck with all his might. There was a sickening crunch as the beowolf's neck shattered, ending the creature's life quickly, and he lunged to the one on the left. Jaune's fists glowed white briefly, and he began to punch the creature. He fell in to a boxing rhythm, and he could feel the ribcage crack and crumble, followed by the Grimm's diaphragm. When its head fell in pain, Jaune grabbed it by the neck, and delivered left hooks and back hands to its face. There was one last gasp from the grimm when it tried to snap at Jaune's arm, but it was a feint. He delayed the motion to give a haymaker to its temple. The grimm fell to the ground, and Jaune smashed the creature head with the heel of his boot.**

"Well, that's one way to deal with a beowolf," said Ren, shocked at the level of brutality Jaune displayed.

"It was cool!" shouted Nora, "You must have trained Jaune pretty well for him to box that beowolf to death, Yang."

"Me? Teach Jaune?"

"Yeah, didn't you recognize the form? It's yours!"

Yang was quiet as she thought on it. It was similar to the style that she and her father used, but Jaune's version made her look like a classical martial artist. His style was just… it was extremely brutal.

" **Beowolves. They've never come this close to our woods before," said Juniper.**

" **They have," said Jaune, "Your mother and I just did pest control while you played at home."**

" **Oh," she said.**

" **Keep moving," said Jaune.**

 **They did, and followed the tracks of the deer once more. Eventually, they came upon a ruin, and saw the deer enter into a crumbled wall.**

" **That used to be a fort from the old Mantle Empire. Mom said to never go in there though," said Juniper.**

" **Our dinner just went in there. We do what need, girl, no excuses," said Jaune.**

 **Juniper nodded, and the two approached the gates of the old fort. Jaune opened them, and his daughter went in to scout the area out. It didn't take long to find what she was searching for.**

" **Look," she said.**

 **He joined her, and the two crouched to avoid detection.**

" **Can I have my bow back now?"**

" **Can you hit it from here?" Jaune asked.**

 **Juniper looked to her target.**

" **We should get closer," she said.**

 **Jaune nodded in approval.**

"She's learning," said Qrow, "She didn't panic and take a shot like before. She took a look at where she was, where the target was, and came up with a good plan."

"…I guess," Yang grumbled.

"Sometimes harsh words drive important lessons home, or prompt people to do better," said Glynda, "How do you think Ms. Adel got through to second year, despite her attitude."

"Yes, mommy," groused Coco sarcastically.

 **They went further in, going through obstacles within the ruins.**

" **I went hunting with mother a bunch of times. She was amazing, but said you were the better one. You never wanted to take me," began Juniper, "Why now?"**

 **Jaune impassively stared at her, and came up with an answer.**

" **It was her wish," he said, "And… it was time."**

" **Okay," said Juniper, satisfied with the answer.**

 **They entered into another room, and were greeted by the sight of beowolves huddling for warmth in what was once the command center.**

" **Grimm," she said.**

 **Jaune ushered her behind him, and lifted his left arm where his gauntlet was when the first beowolf attacked. The gauntlet extended over the arm and elbow with thick sheets of metal that shifted in a circular manner to form a shield. It wasn't his old gear, but the Arc Family crest was proudly displayed, etched around the shield's boss. He deflected the creature's bite, and punched it in the muzzle with the fully extended shield. With more room to maneuver, he retracted the shield got out his axe and began to fight.**

"That new shield's amazing… but, why isn't he using it all the time?" asked Ruby.

"It's too large," said Pyrrha, "In an enclosed space like that, it can be cumbersome, and hinder his mobility."

Ruby nodded.

 **Jaune stayed near the door, alternating with shield bashes and blocks, and hacking at the enemy with his axe. In time, the last beowolf fell, and Jaune took the time to breathe. Even after all his years living in Mantle, the grimm here always seemed to leave him winded. The cold, and lack of food for the rare times Grimm did eat something seemed to have made them particularly hardy and ferocious. Still, victory was victory, and he called for his daughter to join him and continue their hunt.**

 **They eventually made their way through the ruins and into the forest. Juniper ran ahead to the top of a hill.**

" **Father… look!" she whispered.**

 **As he approached, he could see the deer grazing peacefully behind the trees. There was no cover for the giant stag; it was a picture perfect target. Jaune put his axe away and unslung the bow from his shoulder.**

" **Wait for my mark…" Jaune said simply when he offered the bow back to Juniper.**

 **Juniper nodded and took weapon.**

" **Relax," said Jaune gently as his daughter took an arrow from her quiver and notched it, "Do not think of it as an animal. It is simply a target. Clear your mind."**

"I don't want to watch, but I also want to see her get the shot," said Ruby.

"You can do it Juniper," said Yang, as though her words could reach her too.

 **Juniper inhaled. Jaune crouched behind her and peered over her shoulder to line his sight with the arrow. Cobalt breathed out, and her arm steadied.**

" **Steady your aim, and breathe in," he said.**

 **Despite being uphill, Juniper tilted the bow up slightly to compensate for the arrow's drop. It might not have been necessary, but she didn't want to screw up, and took another breath…**

Yang leaned closer.

" **Exhale and release," he said.**

 **Upon exhaling, his daughter let the arrow fly.**

 _ **SLUNK!**_

 **The stag cried out in pain, and jumped in terror. It quickly lost balance though, and fell to the ground.**

"She got it!" Yang shouted proudly.

Qrow, and Ruby also smiled at Juniper's accomplishment.

" **I got it," Juniper said, a proud smile on her face.**

" **Good," Jaune replied.**

 **Jaune felt proud as well, and his daughter ran off to her kill. He got up and followed her down the hill, and saw her stare dumbly at the downed animal.**

" **It's… it's still alive," said Juniper, horrified.**

 **The stag was staring at her, he could tell by her stiff posture. Jaune moved in and knelt by the beast's head, and held the antler to gently push it down to keep its struggles to a minimum.**

" **Your knife…" he said**

 **Juniper joined him, and drew her mother's old knife and offered it to him for the coup degras.**

 **Jaune looked at it in surprise.**

 **Not what he meant.**

" **No," he said as he shook his head, "Finish what you started."**

"No, Jaune…" Ruby protested, but Yang put a hand on her shoulder, "Yang?"

"I agree with Jaune," she began, "She shot the deer, now she has to finish it off. He won't be around forever, Ruby. Tough love, right Uncle?"

Qrow looked to his two nieces, and nodded solemnly.

Yang may not have liked how Jaune was handling Juniper, but after thinking about what her uncle had said while watching, she could understand. Jaune was much more experienced in this time of his life, and it looked as though he had lost a lot to boot. In his own way, he was doing his best to teach her what he knew, and how to survive in the wilds.

"Tell me when it's over," said Velvet, who covered her eyes.

 **Juniper blanched at the idea, but he kept his gaze firm. He could see her gulp, but turned to face the suffering animal. She slowly spun the knife into a stabbing grip, and held it over the start of its ribs where the heart would be. The deer saw this, and its breathing increased. He heard Juniper's breath hitch as well, and saw her put another hand over the knife. Her eyes met the deer's. She tried to will herself, but the closer the point got, the more her hands trembled.**

"… **I can't," she said, shame in her voice.**

Yang frowned a little.

 **Jaune understood.**

 **He got his hands, and placed them over his daughter's. Juniper looked surprised, but quickly found her hands and knife over the beast's ribcage. Jaune pushed the dagger in, and the deer kicked. Her hands tensed within his but he kept them steady, and when half the dagger went in, he retracted them. Juniper kept pushing though, and finished the job.**

 **With one last cry, the stag sighed its last breath.**

Ruby, Velvet, and Nora cringed and whimpered at the sight.

Yang let out a sigh of relief, but felt for Juniper when she saw her.

 **Juniper was shaking, and tears threatened to burst from what happened. Jaune stared off into the distance.**

" **I…" he heard her begin.**

 **She didn't finish.**

 **Jaune turned to see his daughter genuflect with a frustrated look on her face as she rested her head on her propped up arm. It was a look he was all too familiar with. He wore often in his youth. Of all the things to inherit from him…**

…

" _ **Gods… Jaune, you've killed Grimm the size of two story buildings, yet the thought of spending time with Juniper has you scared! Why?"**_

"…"

 _ **Yang stormed off at his lack of an answer.**_

" _ **She's pure," he began.**_

 _ **Yang stopped and turned around.**_

" _ **She's kind, and gentle. Her laughter when she's with you, the smile on her lips, everything about her eases my soul. How can something so good come from someone like me…?"**_

" _ **Jaune…?"**_

" _ **You know what we went through, in the war against Salem," said Jaune, "I've killed, Yang. I killed those that stood against us. I killed people who wouldn't talk or cooperate with us. I'm a monster, Yang, and if she finds out what I did in the past, she'll see me as one too."**_

Everyone stared in shock.

They figured he had been through a lot, but a war?

"This war…" began Ironwood, "It must have been truly hellish."

The general sent a sideways look to Ozpin. Ozpin for his part had a look of regret. He had not interacted with Mr. Arc as often as he did Ms. Rose, but to see another soul tarnished by his millennia old conflict with Salem troubled him greatly. Glynda also looked sadly at the young man who always tripped in her class seem so horrified at the man he had become.

" _ **I don't recall giving myself to a monster," said Yang simply.**_

" _ **Yang…"**_

" _ **Don't you 'Yang' me. Now listen here, you are not a monster. I did some things too back in the day. You aren't the only one with blood on your hands. You, me, Ruby… we all spilled blood," she argued.**_

Ruby gasped in horror, and Qrow put a hand on her shoulder to try and settle her.

" _ **It's not the same with me…" whispered Jaune darkly.**_

" _ **Bullshit!"**_

" _ **It isn't! You and Ruby, and everyone else killed, yes. However you did so out of necessity and self-defense; I killed for revenge!" countered Jaune.**_

There was silence.

 _ **Yang stared at Jaune.**_

" _ **They killed Pyrrha, then Ren, then Nora…" he began in a low voice, "I'd do solo missions, remember? I wasn't clean with my enemies. Proper form and discipline, I threw it out the window. I hurt them, Yang, and prolonged their suffering. I wanted them to feel the same hopeless pain I felt. The semblance I used to save lives… I would inflict grievous wounds, and heal them only to inflict the same wounds again, and again, until they begged for death. But when they did, I'd do it again three more times, for each of my three teammates, before finally killing them. Do you know what the worst thing was? I started to get good at it. I started to enjoy it. I became the very monsters I swore to kill."**_

Ruby, Nora, and Pyrrha were crying at Jaune's confession. Ren's emotional control was slipping at the revelation, and Weiss and Blake were shaking. Qrow took a swig from his flask, Ozpin gripped his cane hard, and Glynda and Ironwood looked on in shock and sorrow.

"That's… insane," said Sun.

"It's fucked up," said Coco sadly

"Revenge… it usually goes that way," said Blake.

Blake was reminded of Adam, though she wasn't sure Adam would go that far.

" _ **I tarnished the memory of my teammates, I perverted my semblance… my soul" he said as his hands shook, and he cried, "These hands that inflicted and prolonged pain for so many… how can you ask me to hold my little girl in them?"**_

No one answered, except for one.

 _ **Jaune saw Yang's hands wrap around his own, and he saw those beautiful lilac eyes look at him.**_

" _ **Because that's all in the past. Because she's your daughter, and she needs her father."**_

 _ **Jaune stared at her in surprise.**_

" _ **That man you described is not what I see right now," said Yang.**_

" _ **I can easily become that again," fear in his voice.**_

" _ **You won't," she said firmly, "You said it yourself: seeing our daughter eases your soul. A monster wouldn't have a soul. Monsters wouldn't care how others saw them. No matter what you may think about yourself, the hands I'm holding now are the ones of Jaune Arc, dork and husband."**_

"That's right," declared Yang.

"They can't hear you, Yang," said Weiss quietly.

"Don't care," she said.

 _ **Jaune looked away and to their daughter outside the house.**_

" _ **I'm scared…"**_

" _ **I know you are. But she needs her father to let her know he cares…"**_

…

 **Jaune recalled Yang's words when he saw Juniper's expression of disappointment in herself. She had wanted to prover herself to him, and she had needed her help in the end to finish the hunt. He took a breath, and reached out for her shoulder…**

"Jaune…" urged Yang, hope and joy in her voice, as tears threatened to flow, "Do it!"

 **His hand stopped and twitched mere inches.**

' **What do I say…?' he thought.**

"Anything…" pleaded Yang.

 **Jaune changed the direction of his arm to the knife in the animal, and pulled it out. He cleared his throat, offered it to her, and Juniper took it.**

' **Coward… I'm such a coward,' Jaune thought.**

"Jaune…" slumped Yang in disappointment.

 **Suddenly a black paw rose from edge of the cliff, and grasped their deer. Juniper stabbed it in defense of their kill, but it did very little as the paw just brushed her to the side off the small cliff.**

" **Juniper!" cried out Jaune in fear and anger, as he grabbed his axe.**

 **He ran over the paw, and kicked the head of the creature that tried to steal their food. When he landed on the ground near Juniper, he saw their thief. It was an ursa… but one found only in Mantle: a nanook.**

"A nanook?!" balked Ironwood.

"Is that bad?" asked Yang, worry in her heart.

"There's a reason why my father and the SDC try expand business operations in other continents as opposed to the rest of our own. A nanook is one of the biggest," said Weiss, dread in her own expression.

"And to think, that's a small one," said Ironwood.

"That's small?" cried out Coco, "That's thing's the size of a deathstalker."

 **The beast staggered back, and tossed away the deer before getting on all fours and roaring at them. Jaune got to his daughter's side, and dragged her onto her feet and gave her back the bow. The creature was armor plated like most ursa, but it had longer claws and forearms that were perfect for catching prey at a distance, and closing gaps quickly.**

" **We're going to fight that?!" she asked, dumbfounded.**

" **We have no choice," said Jaune.**

"I'd run!" said Sun.

"Even if they tried to run, that grimm's stride is too great. It would catch up to them in seconds," said Ozpin.

"Not to mention running from that thing can make it more aggressive. Predatory animals get emboldened when their food does that," said Qrow.

" **Listen," said Jaune, "Remain calm, and steady your breathing. Take your shots where you can. I will draw its attention to me. Understood, girl?"**

" **Yes sir!" she said, nocking an arrow.**

 **Jaune charged in headfirst, axe in his right hand, and shield in his left. The nanook got on its hind legs and let out a deafening roar before delivering a heavy swipe with its paw. Jaune wound up his shield, and deflected the attack, before adding his aura to the axe, and striking at the joints between the paw, and the creature's forearm.**

" **Juniper, aim for its ankles!"**

" **Yes, sir!" she shouted, and she pulled the arrow and loosed it.**

 **The arrow struck true, and the grimm howled in pain.**

"She's aiming much better," said Weiss.

"Duh," said Ruby, "That's my future niece!"

" _Possible_ future ni-" began an irritated Qrow.

"Yeah! That's my girl!" cheered Yang.

Qrow frowned. He wasn't keen on Yang getting ideas that would make him a great-uncle anytime soon.

 **The grimm turned to Juniper, and went after her.**

 **Big mistake.**

 **Jaune immediately hacked at the ankle Juniper shot at with his axe, and it caused the grimm to return its attention to him. He raised his shield and jumped when a paw from the large grimm came his way. The blow sent him sailing back, and when he landed, he threw the axe at the grimm's face. The weapon spun, and landed at the creature's neck.**

" **Go for the legs! I'll deal with its front paws!" commanded Jaune.**

" **Yes sir!" said Juniper.**

"I see… by targeting the grimm's limbs, they'll hinder its mobility and means of attack. Not to mention, something that massive would collapse on its own weight without its limbs to support it," said Glynda, "Mr. Arc has come a long way."

"And you wanted me to expel him for forging his way into school," said Ozpin.

"You knew?" asked Pyrrha, scared and shocked.

"Ms. Nikos, I've always known. I should have a word with him about making sure the school he learned from actually exists."

 **The nanook's jaws snapped around Jaune's shield, and pulled hard to yank it away. Jaune dug in though, and used his semblance to hold firm, while he simultaneously applied it to his axe and smashed it against its muzzle. Juniper got two arrows from her quiver, and shot them both at the creature's throat. The nanook released Jaune's shield.**

"Damn! Look at her go!" Coco said.

"Look at _them_ go," said Sun, "They've got great synergy."

"At least in fighting," said Blake, "They're still pretty awkward around one another."

True, but Yang was still beaming with pride at seeing her daughter handle herself so well…

'I mean, _possible_ future daughter…' she thought.

Right?

' **We have it on the ropes…' thought Jaune, 'One more push and… what?!'**

 **The nanook's eyes blazed as it flew into a rage, and began rampaging all throughout. The ground shook the trees, and the earth flew into the air as it clawed into the dirt.**

" **Juniper, get back! Find high ground, or something, but do not go near it!"**

 **Juniper didn't move, she just stood.**

" **Juniper!" Jaune screamed.**

 **The girl shook at the sight of the creature's rampage, and the red eyes that zeroed in on her.**

" **Nothing's working…" she whispered.**

"Grimm are drawn to fear," said Ren.

"Move!" screamed Yang in fear.

 **The nanook charged and swung its paw down, and blood was spilled.**

Everyone gasped in shock.

 **Jaune flew into the air away from the battle. A stream of blood trailed from his body, and he landed hard on his back and skidded. The grimm in its rage followed the scent of blood and charged toward him. Some of the blood dripped onto Juniper's face, and it snapped her out of her fright. She blinked and looked to see Jaune in the distance and on the ground.**

" **Father…?" she said.**

"He took the blow for her…" breathed out Yang, "I guess good ol' Jaune's still there."

"For those he loves, he'd do it no matter what," said Pyrrha.

"…Yeah, I know," said Yang, "I know now."

 **Jaune activated his shield, and covered himself as the creature tried to maul him. It clawed and pounded at him, and he could feel his aura chip away.**

" **FATHER!"**

 **For a moment, the assault stopped. Jaune turned in the direction of his daughter, and gasped in surprise and shock.**

 **Her eyes were now red like her mother's, but he saw something more. A raging aura, magenta in color blazing from her eyes. Sparks and lightning in equal measure erupted around her, and the sky began to darken with her fury.**

Ozpin, Qrow, Ironwood, and Glynda tensed in shock at what they saw.

"Is that…?" whispered Ironwood.

"It is…" said Ozpin.

'She's a maiden,' thought Qrow in dread.

 **Juniper got her last arrow, and pulled it back.**

" **Get away from him you bastard!"**

 **The arrow flew, and as it tore through the air, wind and lightning coiled around the arrow tip.**

 _ **BANG-CRASH**_

 **An explosion of energy forced the nanook off balance, and Jaune raised his shield to protect him from the blast.**

"Whoa…" said Ruby, "That was… amazing!"

"I'll say!" said Nora, "That's one sweet semblance!"

Yang just nodded dumbly.

'How strong are you?' she thought.

 **Jaune retracted his shield, and forced himself up only to wince in pain. That nanook did a number on his ribs and leg, but his semblance was already getting to work on that.**

 _ **Thud…**_

 **Jaune looked in the direction of the noise, and saw his daughter had slumped to the ground.**

" **Nice shot, girl," whispered Jaune, "Your mother would be as proud as I am."**

"Jaune…" said Yang, a sob of joy escaped her lips.

 **Jaune's face suddenly went somber and sad.**

' **Yang… your burden has passed to her,' he thought, 'Juniper is the now the Spring Maiden, as we feared.'**

"Spring maiden…? You mean like the fairy tale?" asked Velvet.

"Fairy tale?" asked Weiss.

"Oh, I know that one. The Seasonal Maidens. Dad read that book to me almost every day when I was six," said Ruby.

"So, the story is true…?" asked Blake.

"I was a maiden…? This is insane…" said Yang.

Qrow remained quiet, as did the rest of the grownups.

 **Suddenly, Jaune heard movement. He turned to face a nanook that struggled to get back onto its feet.**

" **Shit, you're still alive," growled Jaune.**

 **He was gripped by fear when instead of facing him, it looked to Juniper with murder in its eyes.**

 **While not necessary carbon copies of the animals they looked like, grimm did have similar behaviors to them. And if there was one thing ursa had in common with real bears, it was that they didn't take potential threats to their dominance lying down. Juniper's use of the maiden powers told the grimm, she was the bigger threat, and Jaune stared in horror as the grimm stalked toward his daughter…**

…

" _ **I'm scared…" said Jaune.**_

" _ **I know you are. But she needs her father to let her know he cares…" said Yang.**_

"…"

" _ **Jaune, look at me."**_

 _ **He did so, and Yang stared him dead in the eyes.**_

" _ **I know you're scared, but I want you to promise me something. Arc's word…"**_

" _ **What is it?" he asked.**_

" _ **If something happens to me-"**_

" _ **Yang…!"**_

 _ **She saw his fear and stroked his face with a loving expression.**_

" _ **If something happens to me… promise me you'll at least watch over and protect her. Promise you'll try to be the best father in the world."**_

"…"

"…"

Everyone leaned forward.

" _ **I don't know about that last part, but I'll try… Arc's word."**_

" _ **Thank you, Jaune."**_

 _ **She kissed him lovingly.**_

…

 **With each footstep the nanook took, Jaune saw faces.**

 **He saw the face of Pyrrha, then her melted ciclet in his trembling, young hands…**

 **He saw himself kneel before Ren's broken body, with a dead Nora in his arms…**

" _ **I'm sorry…" a young Jaune sobbed, "I'm sorry… I failed you all… I'm sorry…"**_

Nora felt Ren's hand on hers, and her hand curled into his.

"Jaune…" began Pyrrha.

 **Jaune saw Yang, the one who saved him from his darkness. She was the ray of sunlight that pierced the clouds of his troubled, bloody soul.**

Yang blushed at Jaune's description of her. Did she truly mean that much to him at this point in his life.

 **Finally, he saw Juniper, his angel. Named in memory of his team, the last good thing in his life, with her bright blue eyes filled with the light and hope that had long faded from his own…**

" **Do not be sorry, be better," he growled, his own power building up, 'I've had to bury one Juniper, I'm not going to bury another.'**

Yang nodded at his last thought, and she clenched a fist.

"Come on, get up," she urged.

 **His aura flared wildly, and he flooded his body with it to rapidly heal his wounds. He hated healing like this; it hurt more than people thought it would. He'd deal with that later though.**

 **The nanook sensed the sudden change in the wind. When their eyes met, Jaune let go of all thoughts of restraint.**

 **To protect his daughter, he would become a monster once more.**

"Kick that son of a bitch's ass, Jaune," said Yang.

" **RRRAAAARGH!"**

 **His blood curdling bellow and glowing eyes shook the nanook to its core, and Jaune grabbed and imbued as much aura into his axe and threw it at the paw. The creature let out a shriek of pain, but got no respite when Jaune closed the distance. His fists were glowing white, and he began to pommel the creature in the face. He alternated with punches, elbows, and knees. In a brief moment, he made a knife-hand and gouged out the beast's right eye, and tore it out.**

Everyone, but Yang, cringed.

 **Having had enough, the nanook forcefully yanked its paw, but Jaune stomped on the embedded axe to keep it from being dislodged. A sickening tear of sinew, bone, and muscle could be heard in the clearing, before the grimm shieked in pain and fear. The nanook tried to flee on three legs, but Jaune pursued it with vengeance in his eyes. Grimm who survived encounters with huntsmen and other humans tended to get stronger and more intelligent. After coming this close to his house, and more importantly, hurting his daughter, there was no way in hell Jaune was going to let it get away without inflicting the particularly gruesome fate that… that…**

" _ **Protect her…"**_

 **He heard Yang's voice in his head, and calmed down…**

' **Gotta make it quick,' he thought.**

 **He got the axe from the dissolving paw, and ran after the limping grimm. He hacked at one of its tendons in the rear legs, then the other. The rear legs gave out; the once proud adversary collapsed and tried to prop itself up on its last remaining paw.**

 **Jaune leapt onto its back, stalked toward the head, and poured more of his aura into the axe. When he got to the skull, he swung down.**

 _ **CRUNCH!**_

 **The nanook whimpered and collapsed, and Jaune leapt off of it and yanked the axe roughly out of its skull.**

 **Jaune huffed for air, and the nanook began to dissolve.**

 **He had wanted it to suffer, make it pay… but Yang would have made the kill clean and quick. Juniper's safety came first.**

"Thank you," said Yang.

 **Jaune got his daughter's side, and used his low reserves to give her aura a boost. The use of the maiden's powers had really drained her, and it took a quite a bit to get her to stir once more. Juniper looked up and about, and saw him.**

" **Father, I…" she stopped when she saw the nanook out of the corner of her eye.**

 **Her eyes went red again, and she ran to the corpse with Yang's knife drawn.**

"What is she…?" began Weiss.

" **RAAA! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!" she cried out as she stabbed the dead grimm.**

 **Jaune was stunned by her actions, and pushed himself up onto his feet and went to her.**

"Well, guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, eh firecracker?" said Qrow as he recalled a memory of a six year old Yang.

"I wasn't _that_ bad…" said Yang, embarrassed.

" **Girl," said Jaune in exasperation, and exhaustion.**

 **She kept hacking and stabbing.**

" **Think I'm afraid of you?!" she cried out**

 **Eventually her own exhaustion brought her to her knees, but still she hacked at the dwindling corpse.**

" **You're nothing to me!"**

 **The body finally dissolved.**

" **GIRL!" Jaune barked, as he knelt at her side, and grabbed the arm to keep her from stabbing the air.**

" **Nothing!"**

 **In her emotional state, and without anything to impact it was easy for her to injure herself.**

" **Look at me! Look at me, girl!" he commanded.**

 **Her lungs heaved heavily, and her eyes met his.**

" **Girl – look at me!"**

 **Juniper's eyes focused slowly, and they turned back to blue. She appeared to be lucid again, and a cocky grin appeared on her face.**

" **We DID it," she said.**

 **Jaune was not smiling though, as he saw his daughter heave for air.**

" **You are** _ **not**_ **ready for training."**

"What…?" asked Yang.

Almost everyone was surprised Jaune would say that to his daughter. After everything they went through, after the big fight with the nanook they had. In the minds of the students, Juniper was ready for training.

"Please tell me he has a good reason for this…" growled Yang, sick of the mixed signals she was getting from Jaune.

 **Juniper blinked in shock, all thoughts for air stopped for a moment.**

" **What?" she gasped as he got his daughter's bow, "Are you serious?"**

 **For a moment, her eyes were purple, as her anger began to well up again.**

" **I found the deer. I proved myself," she argued as she picked up one of the arrows to show him, "How am I not ready?"**

 **Jaune remained unimpressed, and shoved the bow roughly in her hands.**

" **We are going home."**

 **He moved toward the deer… what remained of it for salvage anyway. He heard the steps of his daughter behind him.**

" **I have aura… I can handle the training… I can do this" she pleaded, "Please… papa."**

 **The words… almost similar to the ones he used when he begged his father to train him in his youth in those rare moments of free time from raising his sisters, and being home from missions. Jaune felt his heart crack with each plea, and his mind went over his observations.**

 **She did track the deer; she demonstrated knowledge. Sure the deer got away the first time, but she learned from that mistake. In their fight with the nanook, she demonstrated courage, skill, and she followed his instructions. By those merits alone, he would have deemed her ready.**

 **However, the deal breaker for him was what she displayed the moment she had been healed. Rather than let their enemy dissolve into the nothingness, and moving on, Juniper lashed out. She displayed she was vengeful, impulsive, and full of spite. He had seen firsthand the horrifying consequences of the maiden's power in the hands of such a person through Pyrrha's killer. It wasn't enough for that person to kill his partner, the bitch disintegrated Pyrrha into ash and dust for daring to stop her.**

Pyrrha's breath hitched as she gasped.

"Is that… what happened to me? I fought an actual maiden, and died?"

Everyone was shocked that was how Pyrrha would go. Ozpin and Glynda were quiet. They had planned for Pyrrha to assume the other half of Amber's power. Now? Now they were having second thoughts.

 **To make it worst, Juniper had hacked at the body until her breathing got ragged and she almost collapsed again. It showed him she had no regard for her own safety, or theirs for that matter. After all, his aura was too low to give her another boost, and such an act would draw more grimm. While he and Yang might have done such things in their younger days, they had grown up from such childish disregard.**

 **He knew Yang would agree with him on this. After all, she had learned despite being an eighteen year old huntress when she acquired it, the power of the spring maiden required a level of discipline and focus Juniper had yet to obtain.**

The students' earlier outrage at Jaune's decision suddenly died down.

"When he puts it like that…" began Weiss.

" **You are NOT ready," he said finally.**

" **I AM ready," Juniper snapped.**

" **Do not speak again," Jaune snapped back as well.**

 **Juniper looked like she wanted to scream back, but the gaze from Jaune kept her silent. The two walked back to their cabin in the usual uncomfortable silence.**

' **She isn't ready…' he thought to himself as the duo walked home in silence, 'Then again… am I ready? To train her? For fatherhood? Yang, what do I do?'**

The scene ended, and the lights went up.

There was no chatter, or discussion. At least until Yang stood to face Archie.

"So… that is the future?" began Yang.

"It's a possible future," reminded Archie as he held up the volume.

Yang was quiet, but no one dared say a word. It was a lot for her to take in after all. Yang and Jaune, together… Jaune killing people in revenge… a daughter named Juniper…

The room shook a little, and everyone jolted.

"What is that?" asked Ironwood.

"The other hubs… it is as I feared. Your viewing a potential future has affected the archive. Why don't we take a brief respite from this all. I'm sure you have much to talk about."

"What about you?" asked Glynda.

"I need to consult with Lord Aeon himself."

 **A/N:**

 **God of War, with my own little spin on it. I combined game's story mode with elements of the E3 2016 preview that was showcased. Part of me believes that Yang will inherit the powers of the Spring Maiden from Raven at some point, and it will play a role in beating Salem. It's also why I changed the gender of Artreus, since in the world of RWBY, the Seasonal Maidens are all women, duh.**

 **I debated whether or not to make this an alternate Remnant, or a potential future. In the end, I went with the latter of the two options.**

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Nanook is the name of an Inuit bear deity. It is often described as a polar bear.**

 **Originally, I was going to name Jaune and Yang's daughter Cobalt, but my friend said Juniper would be better. It references Jaune's friends in the same way that Artreus references a man Kratos knew and respected from his younger days in Greece. Also, after looking up images juniper berries, I noticed that they had a blue color akin to Jaune's eyes, so I ran with it.**

 **Reviewer Response:**

 **JC of the Corn: Thank you for liking some of the changes I made to the characters in the last chapter.**

 **J0K3R OF MONDAY: Not all will be based off famous works; stay tuned for more.**

 **Reflective599: Glad you liked my take on Rule 63, and that the characters were well done.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: Intermission (6/9/2018)**


	7. Intermission-God of War Pt II

**Longest chapter yet, but I did something for you all to make it this way.**

 **I'm sure you noticed I bumped the rating up. Some of the reactions down the road, including a portion of this will have M-rated content, and also because some of the reactions will be based off of M-rated games. Just thought you guys should know.**

 **So here's how an intermission in this story is going to go. It's basically going to be a break period for the characters. It's a chapter that focuses on discussion, rest, and reflection, sort of like someone and their friends talking about what they liked or hated in a movie they saw in the theaters after watching. This was originally going be twelve pages worth break time for our cast, but considering there was a break time from the story the past few weeks… Well, the disclaimer should explain everything.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **God of War**_ **is the work of Santa Monica Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment.**

Chapter 7 – Intermission

"You're going to meet with your superior?" asked Glynda.

"Yes… no doubt other archivists will be going there to ply for questions, and instruction," answered Archie.

"So… I guess we wait?" asked Ruby with a yawn.

Archie took note of Ruby's yawn, and saw she wasn't the only one who looked tired. Some of his guests even had perspiration staining their clothes…

"Yes, you must wait, but before I leave you, follow me."

Archie set the volume back down on the VHS, and his hand lit up as he moved to a wall. He placed his hand on it, and immediately, the wall caved to form a corridor that went further in with the steps Archie took.

"Come along, friends," said Archie.

Everyone got up, and Archie led his guests down the new path from the viewing room. He noticed there was a notable silence among them. Archie feared this would happen, the result of seeing a future, especially one that showcased such a potent series of events. Granted potential futures and dark realities showed up all the time, but archivists like he had done this so long they knew how to separate their emotions from the viewings. They were objective entities that weren't affected by viewing the multiverse in the same ways as mortals. They didn't know it, but he cut off the viewing early, to give his guests time to digest what they had seen.

He wondered what Lord Aeon was thinking allowing a future to be seen. His brother Lord Chronos would throw a fit if he found out. And the Supreme One? No telling what his reaction would be.

"So, where are you leading us?" asked Ruby.

"Judging by your attire, all of you were planning to spend a night out on the town, or turn in for the evening," said Archie, "You must all be tired, and in need to freshen up."

Archie stopped as his hand glowed.

"I don't have the same needs as you all, but I hope this room will accommodate you," he said.

He planted the glowing hand upon the door, and the entire hub shifted and rattled. Ruby and the others braced themselves for the shaking that ensued, and when it died down, a door appeared. Archie opened it to reveals an entry way with two doors, each marked for men or women, and a sign with an arrow next to the pair that pointed down a hallway that led to more doors and an entryway. Archie led them through the initial doors, and showed them all a locker room filled with fresh towels and bathrobes.

"If you feel the need to bathe or be refreshed, come here and get changed. The bins are for any clothes you wear, and will be automatically cleaned for you," he said before he led the impressed group out, and down the path of the arrow sign, "And here is the bathing area."

The entry by the end of the all was also marked "Men" and Women." Further down was a room that was labelled "Showers." Archie first led them to the first entrance toward the "Women" section, and everyone was in awe of what was within. It was a large indoor bath with steaming hot water flowing from fonts and filters. There was also a divider for what appeared to be the men's section on the other side. In the women's section, there were a variety of soaps, oils, shampoos, and other luxuries lining the walls along with sinks. There were bins with loofas, and closets with all of the girls' names on each one for the bathrobes they got from the locker room.

"Awesome!" said Nora with excitement, "I was starting to get worried about what we'd do when we started to smell like BO."

Everyone was. Even if they weren't engaging in strenuous activity, some of the viewings had made them sweat a little, out of laughter or worry, and the smell began to get stronger as time went on.

"The showers are set up in a similar way, in case any of you are shy about your bodies and uncomfortable with public bathing. They are also divided by gender," added Archie.

"Good to know," said Ironwood.

"So, after we bathe, will our clothes be ready in the respective locker rooms?" asked Ren

"No, actually. They will be sent elsewhere. Follow me, and I will show you to your resting quarters," said Archie.

"Resting quarters?" asked Glynda as she and the others exited the bathing area.

"While I am aware of the human practice of 'binge watching,' I doubt anyone could do it for twenty four hours straight, let alone the number of hours that make up a cycle here on the archive," he replied before approaching another wall.

Both of his hands glowed, and he planted them on the wall. Two doors formed from his hands, and the Archive shook as the rooms behind began to form. When all was settled, Archie opened the door to the Men's sleeping quarters. The décor was simple white walls with a wooden floor, with modern lighting fixtures, as well as a bookstand. They all went in and toured the room. There was a door near the window that had a bathroom, and dual sinks for brushing teeth and washing up. The beds were neatly made, and there was also a window that had a view of downtown Vale at night from what would have been a window at Beacon.

"The toothbrushes match the number of people living here, and the windows, including those in the viewing station have now been programmed to follow the day and night cycles of your world. This should give your body clocks a sense of normalcy," said Archie.

"Whoa, awesome! Haven doesn't even come close with this kind of setup," said Sun.

"Indeed," threw in Pyrrha, "I haven't seen luxury of this kind since my tournament days."

"I hope the women's quarters will be to your liking as well," said Archie.

Immediately, Ruby used her semblance to go to the other door… and gasped upon opening it.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she squealed in delight.

"Ruby, what are you… oh, my goodness," said Weiss.

"Bunk beds!" said Ruby.

Team RWBY saw their bunk bed set-up with actual bunk beds. There were normal beds as well, and they all had fine clean sheets. Weiss approached the lower bunk of one of the beds and stroked the sheets.

"Oh high thread count, how I've missed you," she all but cried.

"This is very generous of you," said Glynda, "How much space does this hub possess?"

"However much I require. You are my guests, however unwilling you may feel in this situation. It would not do for me have you be uncomfortable," said Archie.

"In that case, thank you for your consideration," said Glynda.

"Of course," replied Archie.

Coco opened the closet, and almost fainted. Velvet and the other girls peered in, and almost followed suit. It was a walk-in closet filled with all of the girls' and Glynda's clothes and shoes from Beacon, or rather, replicas of them. There were even clothes they had seen in catalogues but were never able to buy because of the cost, or in Weiss' case, because they weren't suited to her pursuit into a huntress career.

"Thank you so much!" said Coco, sincerely.

"Of course. This is where the clothes you place in the locker room will be sent once they are clean. Now there is one last thing for me to give you all before I go," said Archie.

He led them out of the resting area to the corridor, and he pushed a hand out. The corridor began to extend further out with each step he took until he stopped, and placed a glowing hand on the wall. Once more the structure shook, and the guests of the Archive kept their balance until the shaking stopped. Archie then opened the door.

"Nice…" said Qrow.

It was a gymnasium with treadmills, weights, a revolving rock wall, a sparring ring similar to Glynda's classroom, and any other workout implement and equipment they could think of.

"Since I have no idea how long you will all be here, I felt it important you have a place for you all to exercise, and keep fit. I hope the rooms are all to your liking," said Archie.

"They are," said Pyrrha.

"I second that notion," added General Ironwood.

"This is so cool!" said Sun.

Ozpin merely nodded.

"Thanks for taking care of us," said Ruby with a polite bow.

Archie could not help but smile at Ruby's gesture.

"Of course, Ms. Rose," said Archie, "Now feel free to freshen up and explore your rooms. I will be gone for the time being to speak with my lord."

A circle of light appeared around his feet. RWBY and NPR remembered that it was the same circle that appeared when they first met Archie. However, before Archie could fade to his lord, the circle broke.

"What…?" Archie was flabbergasted by the event, "My travel spell broke?"

"What does that mean?" asked Ruby.

"I'm not sure…" said Archie, before he shook his head, "Please, excuse me. Don't let me keep you from freshening up."

He left his guests quickly, as he strode away.

"…Well now," began Glynda, "I don't know about you all, but I feel like a bath."

"Same," said Weiss, trying to sound subtle, but failing.

"Well… since it seems all you ladies are going to bathe, let us know when you're done," said Ozpin, "It will give James, Qrow, and I time to discuss… some business that was on hold until the festival."

Glynda nodded knowingly, and trusted Ozpin would brief her shortly after she freshened up.

"I'm gonna check out that gym!" said Sun, "After watching those two movies, I feel like I need to do some extra training."

"Agreed. Let us know when you're done as well," said Ren, a serious look on his face.

Well, more serious than normal, in Pyrrha and Nora's eyes.

The two groups of boys and girls, and Glynda left while Ozpin gestured to the men's bedroom. When the three got there, Ozpin closed the door shut before he faced the other two.

"Now then, Qrow. You are free to say what I'm sure you no doubt feel," said Ozpin.

Qrow immediately dropped the mask he forced himself to wear since viewing the potential future, and looked at Ozpin with an incredulous look on his face.

"You wanna know what I'm feeling, Oz? How does pissed, scared, and even more pissed sound? A maiden! For fuck's sake Ozpin, my niece could become a maiden?!" he ranted.

"From what I've seen in Glynda's class, and her work during the Breach, she would be a fine candidate," commented Ironwood.

"I didn't ask for your opinion Jimbo!" shot back Qrow.

James growled, and Ozpin sighed.

He couldn't blame Qrow for feeling that way, and he couldn't quite come up with a response. The truth was that Ozpin was every bit as surprised at Yang's potential maiden status. For all her skill, Ms. Xiao Long was not someone Ozpin would have ever considered to be a maiden. Not that he could have much say in who became the Spring Maiden, or any of the maidens besides Autumn.

For the most part, maidens chose their successors. However, in the instance the maidens needed help finding a potential candidate, each individual headmaster had personal preferences during the selection process. James, and his successors, would select from the best and brightest from the Atlas Military Academy, which integrated the old Academies of Atlas and Summit after Atlas surpassed Mantle. Shade Academy's headmasters in Vacuo typically selected the strongest female fighter out of the graduating class. Haven Academy of Mistral preferred to use orphans as candidates, and often had the current maiden foster their successors as daughters, an old Mistral custom. As for himself… it always changed, depending on the situation.

To those who accused him of lacking a clear system, coordination with his peers, or taking charge of the women under his care, he argued it was for security reasons. In the event a school or maiden is compromised, they could not reveal the location of the other maidens, which would also help in the defense of the relics.

"Calm yourself Qrow," said Ozpin calmly, "Like our friend Archie said, nothing is set in stone. Though I do wonder if something will happen to Leonardo now…"

Qrow frowned at the mention of Haven's headmaster. Leo seemed nice enough, but Qrow had a feeling the lion was anything but. Sure the guy was good in a scrap, but he had all the spine of strawberry gelatin in Ruby's hands. Qrow held his tongue though; Ozpin trusted the guy.

"Do you believe he will be compromised?" asked Ironwood out of concern.

"I'm not sure. His latest reports and correspondences are odd, but not enough for me to be overly concerned."

"I suppose not…" said Ironwood, "Still, once we get out of here, it would be wise to put some eyes and ears in Mistral."

"I agree," said Ozpin.

The previous viewing had given them a possible lead on Salem's next move, and Ozpin would have to capitalize on that. However, first thing was first.

"Qrow… how was your niece? Was seeing a future distressing for her?"

"That's putting it mildly…" grumbled Qrow, "A dip in that fancy bath, and a night's sleep will do her some good. If that doesn't help, Ruby and their team will."

"Good," said Ozpin.

He was rather fond of Ms. Xiao Long, and didn't want anything to happen to her. She had a promising future as a huntress… and perhaps even as a maiden. If what he saw of the love between her and that family was any indication, she would have been a fine one indeed.

"Should we… talk to the children about the maidens?" asked Ironwood.

The other two men looked to the general.

"If there are other futures, it may come up. It might be better if they knew beforehand," said Ironwood.

Ozpin thought about it. The moment he set foot in this place, he was filled with dread. He had heard of the Archive in his youth when he served the gods, and the war with Salem was still young. At first, he thought he disappointed the gods yet again, but this seemed to be worse. The fear Ozpin possessed now was that the truth would come out prematurely.

Ozpin took a breath.

"Not tonight," said Ozpin, "When we are about to see another future, perhaps. For now, let the children get their bearings, and adjust."

xXxXx

Velvet was the last to get into the bath, and sighed in ecstasy of the hot water. Her breast were briefly exposed before she sat herself into the bath, causing ripples. She like some of the other girls, Ruby and Weiss particularly, had been shy at first, exposing herself to others like this. Coco insisted they were all girls, so there was nothing wrong, and after learning bath etiquette from Ms. Goodwitch, who had experience in Mistal's onsen baths, they decided to go for it. The girls had disrobed, shampooed, lathered, and washed themselves in the nearby font by the mirrors of the bath, before dipping in. The water made their earlier embarrassment worth it.

"At this rate, I may want to stay here. This place outclasses most five star resorts I've been to," commented Weiss as she soaked into the water.

Steam wafted through the room as RWBY, Velvet, Coco, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ms. Goodwitch all soaked from the neck down in the cleansing warmth of the large communal bath.

"I hear you," said Coco, "A shame Yatsu and Fox couldn't be here. This place beats where I planned to treat us for the Team CFVY reunion."

"This is quickly becoming one of the best unlikely situations I've been in," sighed Glynda in a state of bliss.

Ruby was sitting under a font as clean hot water poured a top her head. She enjoyed the bath as well, but noticed the look on her sister's face. Yang had that same thoughtful expression since viewing that potential future with Jaune and Juniper… their daughter.

'Potential, future daughter…' Ruby reminded herself.

Ruby waded over to her sister.

"Still thinking about it?" she asked Yang.

"Yeah…" was all she said.

All the girls around her looked in her direction.

"Well, I liked her, Juniper, I mean," said Ruby, "She's a lot like you."

"Impulsive, quick to anger…?" snorted Yang.

"I was going to go with strong and brave…" corrected Ruby.

Yang sighed at that.

"Sorry Ruby, I just can't stop thinking about it," Yang said, "I get that that's a future that may or may not happen, but you know what the worst thing about it is? I kind of want it to happen…"

"You do?" asked Weiss.

"Not the dying part," said Yang, "Juniper though? I keep wondering what her first word was, or what she likes to eat, and why I'm raising her in the middle of Solitas, instead of home in Patch. I want to know what happened to me, but at the same time, I know I shouldn't because I'll go crazy as a result. It sucks, you know? And Jaune? I don't know what he went through, but I can't stop thinking about him also. On the one hand, he was such an ass, but then, he was as protective and caring as any good dad would be. It's so weird seeing him like that, and not… not as _our_ Jaune."

Pyrrha and Nora were particularly thoughtful.

"I'm scared for them and it hasn't even happened yet, or it may not happen at all. I don't know what to do, or think," said Yang quietly.

"I wouldn't know what to do in your position either," started Pyrrha, "It's just so overwhelming, maddening even. My mind is still reeling at the fact that I died as well…"

"Same…" said Nora.

Yang was silent herself. All of JNPR, except Jaune, gone. Team RWBY shivered at the thought. Their teams were virtually inseparable. Their individual quirks aside, the two teams felt as much like a family as well as friends. To see JNPR's final member so thoroughly destroyed by the loss rattled them, even Weiss.

"There is one thing that I _can_ do though…" said Pyrrha.

Everyone looked to her.

"I'm going to train harder. I'm going to become stronger," said Pyrrha, "When we get home, I'm going to research everything I can on the seasonal maidens so I know what to expect when the time comes."

If Pyrrha was to fight a maiden, she would be well-versed in their tales to know what to expect.

"Yeah!" cheered Nora, "Same here! I'll get Ren to join in too, though it seems like he's getting a head start. That way, we can face it together as a team. We'll make it through, and keep Jaune from going all broody and mopey."

"Team RWBY will join too!" declared Ruby.

Ruby refused to let her friend fall like he did in that timeline. She still shivered at the thought of Jaune killing in the manner he described. She'd save him though; all of them.

"Indeed," threw in Weiss, "I refuse to let such a tragedy stand."

Blake nodded her support.

"Count us in too," said Velvet as she gestured to herself and Coco.

"Really?" asked Pyrrha.

"We may not have hung out with the guy like you all have, but if this war does go down, everyone is going to have to fight. You'll be needing the firepower," said Coco.

Yang sat quietly in her part of the hot spring bath. Everyone else was revving themselves into action for what to do the moment they were free to leave the archive. She was usually the one who got everyone pumped up when Ruby was down, and she was honestly a little embarrassed for herself. Here she was, uncertain of herself, and acting like a sorry piece of work over something that hasn't happened yet.

" _Do not be sorry. Be better."_

Those were the words Jaune said to her daughter, no, _their_ daughter, when she tripped up. The same words he said to himself when he needed to protect Juniper. Jaune might have been a… bit of a cold-hearted jerk in that viewing, but he was right on that front.

"…be better," she said.

"Yang?" asked Ruby.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. You guys are right. Count me in too," she declared, "I'm not just going to sit around freaking over what can happen next, I'm going to use this as a wakeup call. I'm gonna train my ass off, so that whatever comes, we all get through it."

The girls all cheered for Yang, and Glynda smiled at her student's newfound resolve.

Pyrrha then approached her.

"Yang… thank you," said Pyrrha.

Yang looked to her, surprised.

"Thank you?' For… for what?" Yang asked, "We're friends Pyrrha, you know I'll help."

"I know you will, just… What I meant was, I want to thank you for helping Jaune out in that future we saw," she clarified.

Yang was quiet.

"I know that wasn't exactly you that we saw in that viewing and I don't know how you feel about Jaune now, but it looked like you saved him in the future we saw. You and your daughter. It's comforting to know that there was someone looking out for him when we were gone. So, thank you now and in that future for being such a good friend for us," said Pyrrha with an offered hand.

"Pyrrha…" began Yang, touched by her friend's words.

Yang took the hand and Pyrrha pulled her in for a hug, their breasts pressed together from the sheer tightness of the embrace.

"Thank you…" Pyrrha whispered again.

"No problem, Pyrrha," said Yang.

Then Nora latched onto both of them in a bear hug, and the moment was ruined.

"N…Nora…! Too tight," gasped Pyrrha.

"Can't… breathe…" heaved Yang.

"But I want to hug too!" objected Nora.

"Me too!" declared Ruby who latched onto the trio.

"Ruby!" cried out Yang.

All the girls laughed and chuckled a little at the scene before returning to their relaxing bath.

xXxXx

"It sure is a lot to take in, man," said Sun as he hung upside down on a pull-up bar in the archivist's exercise room.

"That's putting it lightly," grunted Ren.

The faunus did a crunch from his position, as Ren practiced forms against a Wing Chun dummy. The two felt a particular drive to get better, and after seeing Jaune in the aftermath of that potential war he went through, it was little surprise why. Sun had no mention in this war, neither was Blake mentioned, which worried the monkey faunus. The optimistic part of him believed that maybe the two of them survived, and just went off somewhere else. His reasoning for so bright an outlook was that they currently weren't very close to Jaune at all, so the guy probably made no mention of them. Still, he wanted to get better, and it was better to play it safe.

Ren though, he was hitting the dummy harder than he usually would. With what he had seen, he knew his current level of skill would not be enough to stop what could come. Memory of his own weakness during the events of Kuroyuri immediately came to mind, as well as his vow in the aftermath to never be too weak to defend those most important to him. Seeing his leader and friend holding Nora, broken, in his arms, as well his own dead body eradicated any sense of emotional control in his training.

"So… Ren?" began Sun, who saw how hard Ren was working himself, "You want to talk?"

"I'd rather train…" Ren replied tersely.

Sun winced.

"Well… we could be fighting a war one day. I just figured… we should get to know each other. In case we fight together I mean."

With one last punch to the dummy, Ren sighed.

"I… yes, you're right. Sorry, if I sounded rude. It's just…"

"It's cool man," said Sun before he dropped from the bar, and summersaulted to his feet, "I'd be angry too."

"Anger doesn't quite describe what I'm feeling," Ren replied, "Disturbed is perhaps a more apt description."

"Your team turning out like that?"

Ren face tightened, "Yes…"

"Well, you all seem pretty cool. I mean, we hung out a little before the Breach, remember?"

Ren did. Team RWBY had just left for Mountain Glenn, and JNPR hung out with Sun and Neptune since both of their teams would be doing law enforcement missions. It was also because Neptune wanted to hang out with Jaune for helping him work up the courage to dance with Weiss. The hangout only lasted half an hour though, since the arcade and pizza parlor they went to threw them out because Nora broke the Whack-a-Mole game.

"Yes, it was enjoyable," said Ren, who found the memory a little more precious after what he had seen.

"It was. Nothing like a bunch of friends getting into some trouble, right?" asked Sun.

"Eh?" asked Ren.

"I mean, that afternoon was a blast. I figured we were friends after that," said Sun.

Ren was quiet for a moment, and smirked a little.

"Yeah… that's a pretty accurate assessment. Nora enjoyed herself," said Ren.

"Cool! Say, you think that why we're here?"

Ren looked to them.

"I mean, I get why your team and Blake's team are here, but me? Velvet and Coco? Why do you think we're here?" rephrased Sun, "Maybe this war Jaune mentioned is really big, and everyone gets involved and works together in the end."

Ren thought on the faunus' words.

A while ago, Ren would have written presence of those outside RWBY and JNPR as nothing more than coincidence. Archie had said that sometimes Aeon would do this for amusement, but the recent viewing made him think further. A future wasn't something their host had been keen on letting them see. But it couldn't be dismissed, and they had been given a glimpse in what could await them. The Archive had also shaken afterward, which Archie then confirmed that something had changed. Was one of the gods of time attempting to change something…?

He halted his thoughts.

"I'm not sure, nor would I attempt to figure out the plans of a god. Archie did mention that figuring out Aeon's thinking could be maddening," said Ren, "As for all of us getting together and becoming friends, I can see that."

"Alright," said Sun, "Say, since we're friends now, you think you can help me with the bench over there? I got a ways to go to get the muscles I've seen in those two viewings."

Ren shrugged, and went over to the bench press as Sun put sixty pounds of weights on each side of the bar.

"Fine. I'll let you in on some of Nora's exercises, but don't say I showed them to you."

"Why?"

"If she does, she'll think you can handle her workout regimen… which would be bad if you can't handle this."

"Is it that intense?" asked Sun.

"You have no idea," said Ren.

"Ok… well, maybe we can talk about our teams while we do this. Talking can take the edge off during a workout."

"Sure…" said Ren as he gestured to a bench press.

"Okay, I'll start," said Sun as he laid down, and gripped the bar to start.

Sun lifted, and Ren kept his hands at the ready to catch.

"So my teammate Sage… his old man's a blacksmith…" began Sun as he started to pump the bar up and down with Ren as his spot.

xXxXx

In a hub's tower overlooking the entire archive, Archie tried one last time to teleport to Lord Aeon…

"…"

Nothing.

For the past hour and a half, Archie had even tried everything to get in contact with his lord. He even used telepathy to get in contact with a servant of Lord Aeon's palace. They only sent him one message:

"Not now."

Archie sighed.

There was nothing to do then, at least for the moment. No response from his lord meant one of two things. An argument with Lord Chronos, or Lord Aeon was resting. The latter could mean a number of things, and like most archivists, he wasn't particularly imaginative, given the workaholic natures they all possessed.

'Oh, I forgot to put away the volume,' he thought.

He moved to the elevator of his personal chambers, and went down back to the work and viewing stations on the hub. When he got to the floor, and the elevator door opened, he could hear voices outside toward the viewing station. Curious, he passed his work room, and saw all of his guests sitting in the couches eating pizzas and talking.

"Hey there, Archie," said Ruby with a wave.

"Hello Ms. Rose. I see you're all having a snack before bed," said Archie.

"Well, Ren did make pizzas after we saw our genders swap, so it'd be a waste to just let it go," said Pyrrha.

"I see," he said.

"So, any luck with your boss?" asked Yang.

"No… It appears my lord is occupied at the moment, and it will be some time before I can get in contact with him."

"Wow… that sucks," said Coco, rolling along with it.

"Out of curiosity, how often will we be seeing potential futures?" asked Glynda, "I mean, if one viewing can cause problems for your Archive, what if we were to see more down the road?"

"Hopefully not often. Even this one time could upset some of the other gods in the cosmos," said Archie.

He moved to the volume, and tried to return it through the slot.

 _Zap_

"Ah…!" he yelped as an electrical spark zapped his hand.

He dropped the volume, and everyone turned to see what happened.

"You alright?" Velvet.

Archie was silent, before he sighed.

"The Archive refused the volume's return…" said Archie.

"What does that mean?" asked Yang.

"…I have a confession to make," said Archie, "The volume you just witnessed, I cut it off early."

"What do you mean?" asked Ozpin.

"I noticed in the viewing, that some of you became emotional, conflicted. I thought by ending it early, I could spare you more emotional distress, especially you, Ms. Xiao Long. Forgive me," said Archie, embarrassed.

"There was more to see?" asked Yang.

"Yes," he answered.

Yang was a little irritated, and her curiosity flared. She suspected everyone felt the same and glanced to everyone to see that her fellow students were indeed slightly peeved by the new info. Still, Archie did act with good intentions, so maybe she shouldn't be too mad.

"Thanks for being concerned," began Yang, "I get it, really I do. But come on, we're stronger than you think. Sure we might get weepy and sad during this, but we've also laughed and had a blast with some of this stuff too. Don't worry too much. We have each other to comfort us, and we'll bounce right back given time to think."

Everyone nodded with encouragement toward Yang's words, Archie was quiet for a moment before he bowed a little.

"Yes, I suppose you do. Thank you for your understanding, and I'm sorry," he said.

"It's fine," said Yang, "Now let's finish that future up. I think I've got enough energy for a final round before hitting the hay."

"Of course. I'll set it up," said the archivist.

All the students cheered, and made their way to couches, followed by the adults. Archie moved to the VHS, and put the volume back in. the lights dimmed as everyone gathered around the couches…

…

 **Jaune and Juniper arrived home from their hunt, and Jaune set the deer by a two small sheds near the cabin. One was for skinning and tanning the hides, and another was for butchering and smoking meats. He saw that the pyre had died down, and that the ashes were ready to be collected. Jaune went to the cabin, and put his hand on the door.**

" **Inside, girl," said Jaune as he opened the door, and Juniper trudged into the cabin.**

 **Jaune pulled out a large pouch from a table near the door, and went back out and collected Yang's ashes.**

' **What would you have thought Yang, if you asked how the hunt went and I told you…?' thought Jaune as he gathered his wife's remains.**

"I'd probably tell you that you were too hard on her, after that fight you all went through," answered Yang.

Everyone nodded and affirmed her answer.

' **Knowing you, you'd probably ask why I was so hard on her after such a harrowing fight,' he thought as he continued to collect.**

Everyone blinked in surprise at Jaune's accurate train of thought, especially Yang.

' **Then you'd shake your head as I tried to tell you it for her own good, before it turns into an argument about her being young, that she'll learn, that I'm being a fool like always, and I… I…'**

 **Jaune's eyes stung, and his hands shook, and tears threatened to fall. He gasped for air a bit, to regain some control of himself, but the expression of mourning remained on his face.**

 **Yang was gone…**

 **Gone…**

 **For the first time in a long time, he felt so lost and alone.**

"I'd feel the same," said Ruby.

The rest of them nodded, and Yang felt a warmth and a pain in her chest at seeing how much Jaune loved and missed her.

 **He had hoped Juniper would be ready. Training meant they could take Yang's ashes to Patch, to her family. As much as he knew Ruby would kill him from running off after the war, he wanted to see her, and wanted her to meet her niece.**

"I wouldn't kill him… maybe hurt him a little, but not kill," she mumbled the last bit.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes a little… nah, Ruby was right. Pyrrha knew that she and Nora would probably do the same if they had lived and Jaune just ran off.

' **Maybe… I was too harsh in my judgement,' thought Jaune.**

 **Juniper was still young after all, and maybe** _ **some**_ **impulsiveness could be forgiven. Perhaps if he calmly explained his reasoning, then she would understand. Maybe he could even come up with another test for next week.**

"Looks like Juniper isn't the only one learning," pointed out Glynda.

"Whatcha' mean?" asked Qrow.

"Read as many books as you like, or talk to those who've been through it, no one is prepared to parent or teach. Mr. Arc has realized that while being hard when necessary is good, his daughter is still a child and needs an equal measure of softer teaching."

"I'd buy that, if you didn't scare the crap out of most of us," added Coco.

"There are of course, exceptions," warned Glynda.

 **He donned a serious expression went to the cabin and as he entered, he set the ashes on a table by the door.**

" **It's not fair," he heard Juniper say, "He doesn't know anything…"**

 **Jaune took a breath, and approached his daughter. When she looked up at him, he began to talk.**

" **You lost control," said Jaune simply.**

" **That thing was trying to kill us. It's not like you don't get angry in a fight," argued Juniper.**

" **Anger can be a weapon if you control it – use it. You clearly cannot," said Jaune, "When you lose-"**

" **It won't happen again," snapped Juniper.**

 **Jaune cocked an eyebrow. So much for calmly explaining his reasons.**

"Seriously, listen to your dad… Oh my god, am _I_ turning into dad?" asked Yang, concerned.

"Heh, shame I don't have my scroll. Tai would have loved to see this," said Qrow.

Taiyang would certainly feel vindicated for all the years of dealing with Yang in her adolescent years. Too bad the guy wouldn't believe this.

" **Fine," he said, as he remembered an old exercise of Yang's to help with focus.**

 **He knelt before his daughter, and held up his hands, open-palm.**

" **Come on then," he challenged.**

"Hey, I remember you and dad doing this when I got back from Signal one day," said Ruby.

"Oh, that. It's a focus exercise to help me keep my eyes on the target, and not lose my temper in a fight," said Yang.

"Like you were supposed to two weeks ago against Russel when you promised us you wouldn't kill him for what he did?" said Blake.

Russel Thrush of CDRL, had accidentally stained Yang's hair when he tried to throw a bottle of soda at Sky Lark, his teammate, for some comment. That afternoon, they had combat class in Goodwitch's class.

"I held back," said Yang, "It all ended in one punch."

"His aura was shattered, and he had a black eye and a split lip," said Goodwitch who remembered the fight, and gave Yang detention for excessive force.

"He was still breathing," muttered Yang.

"Yang…" groused Qrow.

"Fine…" said Yang.

 **Juniper looked at his hands strangely.**

" **You want me to hit you?"**

" **I want you to try," he said.**

 **Juniper sighed, and gave a non-committal punch.**

 **Jaune slapped it away, unimpressed with her lack of enthusiasm. He made sure to hold back though since if he tried to copy Yang's force when she did this with him, he'd probably break something.**

" **OWWW! What are you – ?"**

" **Try again," he prompted.**

 **Juniper gave more enthusiasm, but Jaune reacted faster.**

" **Why are you doing that?"**

" **Too slow," he said, "Try again."**

"He's pushing her; trying to see if she maintains self-control," said Yang.

"It doesn't look like she will," said Weiss.

Yang nodded. She could tell Jaune was holding back, and that if Juniper was getting frustrated over that, training would be a real exercise in patience for Jaune.

 **Juniper got to her feet, aimed, and punched in earnest. Again Jaune deflected, and he saw the wrinkle of frustration on his daughter's brow.**

" **Cut it out."**

" **Weak. Again."**

 **She punched harder, and Jaune brushed it aside.**

" **Again."**

" **STOP IT!" she yelled.**

 **She lashed out with a lot of force, so much so that when Jaune brushed the blow aside, she slipped and fell to the floor. Jaune frowned, his suspicion confirmed. He went to her and held her by the arm firmly, but not too hard. He hoisted her up, and stared at her dead in the eye.**

" **Your anger… you can get lost in it. The path ahead is difficult," Jaune said in a calm voice. Juniper tried to yank herself free in frustration, but Jaune pulled her back, "and you, Juniper, are clearly not ready."**

 **Juniper was mad, and Jaune sighed on the inside.**

' **Stupid… I always screw everything up, don't I?' he thought.**

"Real father-of-the-year," said Qrow.

"At least he's aware he's struggling, and trying to improve," threw in Ren.

"Just like he promised," said Yang, as she remembered what her future-self made Jaune promise her.

 **He let her go, and Juniper opened her mouth-**

 _ **Knock Bang Knock**_

" _ **Come on out!"**_

"Someone's at the door… I don't remember seeing any other houses or people during that hunting trip," said Ren.

"There wouldn't be. The Great Snow Sea is mostly uninhabited. There are some villages, but they are too few and small," said Ironwood.

 **Alarmed, Jaune silently strode to the door, and put his ear to it.**

" _ **It's no use hiding anymore! I know who you are…"**_

" **What's going on? Do you know him?" whispered Juniper.**

" _ **And more importantly, I heard from a lovely village that you where I can find a fair maiden!"**_ **continued the voice**

"Fair maiden?" asked Yang, before Yang recalled that she was a maiden in this future, "Is someone looking for me?"

"No, I don't think so," said Blake, "Jaune mentioned that your 'burden' had passed on to Juniper."

"So then, he'd be looking for your daughter," concluded Weiss

"And judging by the tone of the man at the door, Juniper could be in danger," said Pyrrha.

 **Jaune tensed.**

" **Girl. Beneath the floor. Now…" he whispered**

" **But… you told me never to go down there," Juniper answered back.**

 **He made his way over to the floor, and moved a rug out of the way, to reveal a trap door.**

" **Who is that?" Juniper asked.**

" **I do not know," he answered.**

" **What is he talking about?"**

" **I do not know. Get IN," he finished, and ushered Juniper into the hidden compartment.**

 **He quickly closed it, and covered it as soon as she got inside before he returned to the door.**

" _ **Just tell me what I want to know! No need for this to get bloody,"**_ **the voice said again.**

 **Jaune strode to the door, and opened it to see who it was that was causing the racket. He was greeted by the sight of a shorter man with a lithe form, and defined lean muscles. He was shirtless, with pale skin and shaggy brown hair, and a brown beard. His chest and torso were riddled with tattoos, but one stood out to him instantly: a halberd atop a shield placed upon an inverted white chevron, which represented the summit of the mountain on his shoulder.**

' **He's an Atlas specialist?' he thought, on the first tattoo.**

The adults, especially James, were alarmed at the sight. They were worried potentially sensitive info was about to be revealed to the audience.

 **Jaune was a little skeptical. There was no way an Atlas Specialist would dare have so unseemly an appearance, not even a retiree. Winter had told him that the Specialist was as much a lifestyle as it was a rank.**

"That's true… uptight, snooty…" began Qrow.

"He's a deserter," commented Ironwood.

"How do you know?" asked Glynda.

"The tattoo on his right hand: a cracked mountain with a dove flying from it. It's common among the dishonorable discharges in Atlas' prisons."

" **Huh… I thought you'd be bigger. But you're definitely the one," said the stranger, "Long way from home, aren't you?"**

" **What do you want?" asked Jaune firmly.**

" **Oh, I think you already know the answer to that," said the man.**

" **A fair maiden," indeed. Jaune knew, but shuddered at the implications of how the man came to know. Only one specialist knew of Yang's Maiden status and location: Winter Schnee. Weiss trusted her, and as such, he and all his friends did. Winter would die before she gave Yang's location away, and that was what worried him.**

' **Did something happen to Winter, or Weiss?' he thought.**

Weiss suddenly got alarmed at the thought of either Winter, or herself in danger.

 **It would be best if this stranger knew little of his concern to avoid any confrontations, and Jaune brushed off the comment with his poker face.**

" **Whatever it is you seek, I do not have it. You should move on," he said before turning away.**

" **Hahaha. And here I thought huntsmen like you loved to be heroes. Have people come forth to see you. Give you praise and thanks. And yet, you hide out here in the woods – like a coward," the stranger taunted.**

 **Jaune turned around, and faced the man. The stranger stretched his fingers, before he balled them into fists and stepped closer to the house. Jaune stood a little taller, and subtly broadened his shoulders.**

" **You do not want this fight," he warned.**

 **Jaune hoped this man would just leave.**

" **Oh, I'm pretty sure I do," he said before he backhanded Jaune in the face.**

"Whoa, what?" said Nora.

"That's dumb" stated Sun, "After what we saw him do to that huge Grimm, that guy's gonna get wrecked."

"Don't be too sure. That man is a Specialist, uncouth as his appearance may be," said Weiss, "They're the finest hunters in all of Atlas."

"Indeed. I made sure of that," said Ironwood, "Also remember, Mr. Arc just fought off a nanook. He won't be at full strength like before."

Yang and the other students suddenly go worried.

 **The blow… it didn't hurt too much, but it felt odd. Jaune slowly looked back to the man, who had taken a step further into his personal space.**

" **Leave my home," Jaune warned slowly.**

" **You are going to have to kill me for that to happen."**

 **The stranger punched and backhanded Jaune three more times before Jaune caught the fist. He twisted the offending hand away giving him a clear shot at his visitor.**

" **I warned you –" said Jaune.**

" **Finally," muttered the stranger.**

Everyone was surprised by the man's words, or at the very least, his bored tone.

 **Jaune punched the man a fair distance away, and saw him tumble roughly to the ground. He turned back to make sure Juniper wasn't disobeying him and peering through a window to see what was going on.**

 **No one; good.**

" **You would not listen," Jaune finished his earlier remark.**

" **No… No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," muttered the stranger.**

 **Jaune hoisted up the stranger, and tightened his fist. All the man needed was a good beat down, and he'll be driven off just like all the others.**

 **The stranger sighed in a bored tone.**

" **Fine. My turn," he said.**

 **The stranger lashed out with an uppercut that sent Jaune flying. He crashed along the roof of his house upward before he arced down to the back portion of the cabin's roof, and landed behind the house.**

"Well, I guess you were right, Schnee" said Coco, stunned by what she just saw.

"…I, yes," said Weiss dumbly.

Winter couldn't do that. No Specialist could, not that she knew any others.

 **Jaune groaned and pushed himself up when he heard a noise. The stranger was on the roof, and he leapt up. Jaune rolled to the side, and avoided getting hit by the knee strike the assailant was about to deliver.**

" **How incredibly disappointing," remarked the stranger, "Come on then."**

 **Jaune got his axe, and shield ready. The stranger swaggered over to him, before lunging with a left hook.**

' **Bare-handed?' thought Jaune.**

 **He raised the shield to deflect the blow, but it took more effort than he anticipated. The shield vibrated from the maneuver, but it was successful enough to give him an opening. He had recovered somewhat against the earlier battle with the nanook, but not enough to go all out. Rationing his aura, he applied a small amount to his axe and swung. The blow struck true, and he felt the axe hack into the body. Blood began to leak, but the stranger still looked bored.**

" **Pointless," he taunted.**

"The hell?" started Yang, "Can that guy not feel pain?"

"Maybe it's his semblance," said Qrow, who had to hide the tone of interest

Ozpin was reminded of Hazel Reinart, a lieutenant of Salem's who possessed a semblance that blocked out pain. He dismissed the idea that this stranger fighting Mr. Arc was any child of the man though. Other than the fact they looked nothing alike, Hazel was too emotionally broken to ever think about having a child. Furthermore, the man still had just enough of his old morality to know that while working for Salem, having children was ill-advised. He doubted whatever this stranger had was a replica of Hazel's semblance, but Ozpin and the other grownups watched, to see if they could gleam a potential weakness nonetheless.

 **The man knocked back the weapon, and went after him with a flurry of punches. Jaune bobbed and weaved to avoid, occasionally using his shield to deflect dangerous blows. He didn't want to rely on it too much though. Using it frequently against grimm was one thing, a hand to hand specialist like this guy, or Yang? Suicide.**

"How so?" asked Ruby.

"All it would take is one good deflection to knock the shield back, and Jaune would be vulnerable for a few seconds," said Pyrrha, "Because of the drag it could cause in the air, it would take time and effort to return the shield to a defensive position. And retracting the shield? That also takes a few seconds."

"And for fighters like me and dad who use power, speed, and aggression, those few seconds are all we'd need to bring the fight to a close," said Yang.

Ruby nodded, remembering how Yang and Dad would spar: deliberate circling with fast, intense bursts of fighting.

 **He fell into a pattern, block and counter. With his low aura, defensive tactics were the way to go, at least until he found a weakness. The progress on that front, and fighting were slow though. He managed to get in some hits, but it was not enough.**

"He's not getting anywhere," commented Yang.

"Given what he fought not too long ago, it's his best strategy though," said Ren, though he did agree.

" **You bore me," he jabbed, "Are you even trying? Come on already!"**

 **The stranger sneaked past Jaune's guard and punched him into the air. He leapt after him, and punched him down onto the roof of the cabin.**

" **Tell me what I want… Pain stops. Real simple," said the stranger as he tried to choke Jaune.**

 **Jaune just growled, and the stranger punched down. Jaune tilted his head to avoid the blow, and the roof got punched in. The stranger seemed distracted for a moment, and Jaune's gaze peered into the cabin. No one was there.**

" **Why are there two beds in there?" the stranger asked.**

Yang and Ruby got alarmed by the stranger's comment.

 **Jaune took advantage of the stranger's distraction. He grabbed the man's face and pushed him off before straddling him. The stranger did the same and the two briefly wrestled for the dominant position. Their struggle made them slip off the roof of the cabin where Jaune came out on top, and the veteran huntsman began to punch violently and viciously. Punch after punch, but the man's face barely had a scratch on it. He intensified the strikes, but still barely a change. There were blood, cuts, and bruises, but nothing changed the bored expression on the man's face.**

" **Leave! My! Home!" Jaune roared, and delivered both fists down to man's chest.**

 _ **Hum…**_

 **Jaune blinked in surprise at the noise, and the lapse gave the stranger time to retaliate. The stranger punched Jaune off of him, and he quickly circled around to Jaune's back, wrapped his arms around him and sent him into a suplex. The move rattled Jaune, and the stranger kicked him to side before he could recover.**

Everyone winced at that maneuver.

"This isn't going well," said Weiss, worried.

"Come one Jaune, get up!" said Ruby.

"You can do it! Just break his legs!" said Nora.

Yang's fist tightened as her knee shook restlessly. She wanted to help somehow, but knew she couldn't.

" **Struck a nerve, did I?" the stranger mocked as he stalked toward Arc.**

 **Jaune's body flashed white, and he grabbed a fallen tree to bat the stranger away. The stranger collided with the shed he put the deer by, and Jaune charged. He grabbed the man, and pushed. The cracked structure gave way to the blow of the crash, and Jaune kept moving. He collided with a boulder, another tree, anything along the path of his charge to weaken and hurt his attacker. The stranger kept elbowing his back, but Jaune ignored it.**

" **Who are you hiding?!" the stranger cried out.**

 **Jaune eyed a pile of boulders, and picked up the pace and rammed the stranger hard into the wall of rock. The man just brushed off the collision, and elbowed Jaune hard enough to send him down.**

" **Slow and old. You should never have come up to the north."**

 **The stranger's body glowed briefly, fazed and shifted slightly, and Jaune could hear the same hum from before. He also found the noise was almost mechanical in nature. Was he a cyborg? It would certainly explain why the blows the stranger delivered felt strange.**

 **Jaune blinked when he saw all the stranger's earlier wounds seal up.**

" **So, care to try again?"**

" **You talk too much," said Jaune.**

 **Jaune tried to attack, but the stranger sidestepped delivered a flurry of punches against his ribs, before he got slammed into the rocks.**

" **You won't talk? Fine," said the stranger, "Maybe whoever it is you've got stashed in that house will."**

Yang gasped.

 **Jaune dug into his near exhausted reserves, and flew from the stones. He sent the stranger flying into a tree, where he pommeled him. The tree cracked from the sheer pressure of the blows, and Jaune grabbed and threw his adversary aside. Jaune punched the tree to sever it from its trunk, and grabbed it to swing it down before charging the man with the impromptu battering ram. As the stranger was caught and about to be rammed into a large boulder, he screamed at Jaune.**

" **Who is it?!" demanded the stranger, "Who are you afraid I'll find?! Let's find out."**

 **Jaune rammed his opponent into a bedrock wall, but the stranger just tore the tree apart barehanded.**

" **Pointless," the stranger said as he began to fight in earnest again.**

 **Jaune primarily used his axe, in their second bout. With the speed and intensity the stranger began to deliver, using the shield was now a last resort when evasion was not possible. He instead focused on using the momentum of his axe swings, and occasionally using the heel and toe of the axehead to bypass defenses, or punch openings into the attacker's guard and hook a limb. Still, the strategy remained the same: defend and counter.**

" **You still bore me," groused the stranger, "I don't have time for this, what are you hiding?!"**

 **Taking advantage of the man's poor focus, Jaune caught the stranger off guard, and grabbed his legs. He swung him around, and threw him against a boulder. There he poured a little more of his now critically low aura into a flurry of punches, until one last punch sent the man's head against the boulder with such force it cracked the stone behind him. Jaune threw the man to the ground where punched the boulder a few more times, and grabbed it. Using more aura, he dragged the stone down upon his foe, and crushed him. The impact was such that it created a fissure in the ground.**

"And stay down," said Coco, though she was relieved that the fight had finally ended.

Everyone was a tad uncomfortable by the sheer violence the brawl had. Hunters like themselves were used to quick engagements, not slugfests like what they saw.

 **Jaune limped away, and took a breath. It was only thanks to the aura control exercises he practiced with Ren that he was able to put in this much effort after the fight this morning. It was barely enough though; he was too old to do back to back fighting like this.**

 **The boulder moved.**

"Oh no…" gasped Velvet.

"How?" asked Pyrrha.

" **Leaving so soon?"**

' **Fuck…' cursed Jaune.**

 **The boulder few into the air, and Jaune got his shield out. He bashed the stone, and heard an audible creak in the metal. From the explosion of stone, the stranger lunged at him, and Jaune tossed away what was now a useless shield. He caught the stranger's fists one after the other, and the two pressed and jockeyed for dominance.**

" **You know… my employers sent me here in the hopes I'd find some answers, but YOU, you had to act all proud. Throw whatever you have at me… I'll keep coming. That old body will give out. But before I end this, I want you to know one thing… I can't feel any of this."**

"This is bad," said Pyrrha.

'Just like Hazel,' thought Ozpin.

"Seriously, is there an implant or something you Atlesians cooked up that can dull pain out this much?" asked Qrow.

"There are devices in Atlas hospitals that can but not to this degree. Even if there was, there's no way it can perform rapid healing. This is a future after all," said Ironwood.

 **The stranger punched Jaune into the air with an upper cut, and leapt after him. Just like before, he grabbed the old huntsman, and threw him to the ground hard.**

" **You've see it with your own eyes; you can't hurt me. Nothing can. Old Man Polendina's accelerator makes sure of that. This fight is pointless. Your struggle is pointless. It didn't have to be this way."**

 **Accelerator?**

 **Jaune's memory stirred. After defending Haven, he and his friends went to Solitas. They had met Penny's creator in Atlas, who had been fascinated with his semblance. A prototype machine he called "the accelerator" was based off of it, and was able to activate aura for the average soldier for a brief period. It helped in the defense of Atlas, but the after effects were too much for the Atlas troopers testing it. The sudden, and forceful activation of aura made them temporarily invulnerable, but once the device was deactivated, many troops went into shock, and had massive spells of pain. Three had died almost immediately due to neural overloads. Polendina and Winter deemed the device too dangerous, and had it shelved in storage.**

' **Did someone revisit the project?' thought Jaune.**

"That explains the guy's strength and healing factor," said Ren.

"It's like a cheap version of Jaune's semblance," said Nora.

"As remarkable as such a device sounds, I can only imagine the pain those soldiers went through," said Glynda.

"Forcing aura to kick start does sound painful," added Ruby.

"So how come this guy isn't worried?" asked Yang.

"He's a Specialist. I suppose only a huntsman or huntress could utilize such a device safely," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune tried to get up, but was kicked to the side.**

" **Pathetic."**

 **Jaune landed hard, and tried to push himself back up**

" **You can't win. I feel nothing. But you, you feel everything, yet you, you keep trying," mocked the stranger.**

 **Jaune trickled his aura into healing. From here on out he was going to be running on fumes, and the odds were definitely stacked against him.**

" **If you'd given me what I wanted, it wouldn't have ended this way. But no…"**

 **The stranger leapt at him, and Jaune rolled out of the way. He leapt to his feet, but almost tipped over as the exhaustion nearly made his legs give out.**

" **Let's finish this," said the stranger.**

 **Jaune drew his axe.**

" **You can't beat me!" the stranger screamed as he grabbed the haft of Jaune's axe to stop an overhead swing.**

 **Jaune kicked the man back to give him some space, and force his enemy to let the axe go.**

" **COME ON! I feel NOTHING!" the man yelled out, "Nothing!"**

 **Jaune swung to the man's side, but was stunned when the stranger kicked the haft of the axe. The blow split the wood, and the axe head was spun into a nearby tree.**

" **WORTHLESS!" said the stranger before he punched Jaune back down to the ground, "PITIFUL!"**

 **The stranger continued to stomp down on Jaune, who now had his forearms positioned to block as much of his face and torso as possible. The aura from the accelerator's influence made the foot glow brightly, and the blows were made more intense.**

"This fight… it's over," said Blake, a lip trembled.

Everyone was on the edge of their seat.

"Come on Jaune, get up. Pull a plan out of your ass like you always do!" cried out Yang, scared for him.

" **I will end you! You can't beat me!"**

 **Jaune took hit after hit, until the intervals between stomps got longer. As a stomp approached, the glow of aura dimmed, and Jaune acted.**

' **Now!' he thought.**

 **As the offending foot came down, Jaune opened his guard and grabbed the stranger's leg. He whipped his body and pulled. The stranger was dragged down to the ground, and Jaune threw him to the floor. Quickly, he got on top, and the two wrestled. Jaune was pushed off, but as the stranger got up, Jaune slipped behind, snaked the arms around his enemy, and initiated a chokehold.**

" **I'd hoped that you, of everyone I've faced, would finally make feel something. But you can't."**

" **Oh, really?" grunted Jaune, "That might have been the case, if you hadn't told me you used Polendina's work."**

" **What?"**

 **If this was the accelerator of Polendina it was one of two designs. The prototype was a circular device on a soldier's, or Specialist's, chest armor. The other was a slightly smaller design meant for Atlas' Veteran's League and Medical Association which had them surgically implanted in the chest area near the heart.**

 **Jaune's hand glowed, and he felt where the accelerator was. He moved his hand there, and his semblance felt the stranger's aura. Instead of bolstering it like he normally would however, he instead manipulated it, so all of it could be crammed into the machine. It was a trick he discovered accidentally when he inflicted pain onto others, useful for weakening the blanket protection of aura throughout the body to make wounds in specific areas.**

Everyone tried to not imagine a vengeful Jaune doing that to someone.

 **The act sent the machine into overdrive, and suddenly the stranger started to squirm and scream in pain. Like a dam holding far too much water, the device was pushed to its limits by Jaune, who had to move his face from time to time as the man tried to go for his eyes in an attempt to free himself. The man's screams intensified before Jaune heard a muffled pop, followed by the man gurgled noise from his mouth. Blood flowed out, and Jaune quickly moved the hand to arm holding the man's neck and twisted.**

 _ **Snap**_

 **The stranger ceased any, and all movement.**

" **Like I said, you talk too much," said Jaune before he forced the body off of him.**

"He won," said Pyrrha in relief.

"Good job," said Yang.

Everyone sighed in relief of that gruesome confrontation being over.

 **The stranger's body rolled to the side, and fell into the fissure that formed earlier. He took a moment to breathe, before he struggled to sit up. That guy was a far cry from that lieutenant of Salem, but they had the same weakness. Exhaust the aura, and suddenly the nerves have no way to dull the sensations of pain.**

'Good to know…' thought Qrow.

 **Jaune crawled to the broken axe haft and used it to prop himself up.**

" **Who was he?" Jaune asked himself as he struggled up and walked back home, "He knew me. Did he know my past? How did they find me… after all this time?"**

 **The broken haft didn't support him very well, but it kept him out of the snow and gave him time to think. The Great Snow Sea was vast, and went as far north as Solitas' northern shores. Even if you had a general idea of where to look for someone or something, Atlas could only search the area two months out of the year. Furthermore, they typically had to hire guides from the few villages that made their home in the small forests of the region, and even then most of the travel had to be on foot since there was nowhere for most bush planes to land.**

" **Yang… what do I do? Out child is not ready…" he called out.**

Yang had no answer, and felt her heart hurt at the desperation in his voice.

 **The haft he used as a walking stick snapped, and he collapsed for a moment, the view of the cabin in sight. Jaune sighed in fatigue.**

" **And neither am I," he said as he got up on his feet and trudged closer to the house with a limp.**

" **I don't know how to do this without you."**

 **He put his hand on the cabin door when he arrived.**

" **But we cannot stay here."**

 **He entered the cabin, got to the trap door, moved the rug, and opened it to see Juniper huddled, as if to hide.**

" **Girl."**

 **Juniper looked at him scared.**

" **There was so much… I though… You're alright," she sounded relieved**

 **Jaune tried to wave it off.**

" **I am all right. Come," he said as he reached for her. She grasped his hand, and he pulled her up., "Gather your things. We are leaving."**

 **Juniper got her bow, and one of three rucksacks their family always had packed in case they had to leave the area. It was the first time they were using their emergency belongings.**

" **I thought I wasn't ready," commented Juniper.**

" **You are not," confirmed Jaune, "But we have no choice now. Prove me wrong."**

" **Yes sir," she said firmly.**

 **He turned to his daughter, and stared. Her posture, the confident expression on her face…**

' **Yang…' he thought.**

"Yeah, that what I meant earlier. She really is a lot like you," said Ruby.

Yang smiled at the sight of her daughter, ready for action, and she suspected Jaune would have as well, if he was his old self.

 **He looked down into the cellar, and saw something he needed, especially now that his axe and shield were busted.**

" **Check the storage shed, and what's left of the smoker. Get whatever food and supplies we'll need for the journey south. I need something to get something in here for the journey," said Jaune.**

" **Okay," said and she went out.**

 **Jaune saw his daughter exit the house, and he looked into the cellar. More specifically, a small alcove near the steps. There were two a white cloths with the crest of Beacon Academy. He opened one that was rolled up and revealed Ember Celica. Yang kept the pair, despite her loss of an arm.**

' **Maybe Juniper will grow into it…' he thought.**

Yang could imagine it, and she smiled a little at the thought.

"She'd need to work on hand to hand though," said Qrow.

"Oh yeah," agreed Yang.

 **He put it into his bag for later, before he returned his attention to the other cloth. He pulled it in front of him and part of him was hesitant open it, but he knew he needed a weapon. The journey to the coast and then Patch would be fraught with dangers, and there was nothing else for him to use.**

 **He unfurled the cloth, and within lay Crocea Mors, the Arc family sword. He unsheathed the weapon for the first time in years, and gently stroked the blade with his fingers.**

 **Like his semblance, he had tarnished the blade that had been passed down the generations. At the end of the war, he had been tempted to melt it down for slag… but he decided against it. He kept it, as a symbol of what his hatred had morphed him into, an eternal reminder to his shame. Now… now he may be able to redeem the blade. Make it something to be proud to look at once more…**

" _ **There's no where you can hide, huntsman,"**_ **said a voice.**

 **He turned to the door, and saw a dark spectral figure with glowing amber eyes stare at him.**

 **It was her, Pyrrha's killer, their most dangerous enemy after Salem herself… or was that his guilt for his past actions playing tricks with his mind?**

"There's something familiar about her," commented Ruby.

"Indeed, I feel as though I've seen her before," said Glynda.

Everyone, especially Yang and Pyrrha tried to see if there were any features to make out on the black shadowy figure, but no one could make heads or tails on specifics.

 **He sheathed the blade, and set it down before getting the emergency travel bags of Yang and himself. He put the most important mementoes of their lives together in them for Ruby, as well as any other supplies that his daughter and himself would need for the journey.**

" _ **Put as much distance between you and the truth as you want, it changes nothing," the specter continued, "Pretend to be everything you are not… teacher… husband… father…"**_

Yang, Pyrrha, Ruby, all the students including Weiss growled in anger at the specter's taunting.

 **Jaune's head whipped to the figure with cold fury in his eyes, before he slung the bags over his shoulder, and tied the sword to his hip. The familiar weight of the weapon… it all started to come back to him.**

"… _ **but there is one unavoidable truth you will never escape: You're just like me. You will always be a monster."**_

 **Jaune was silent for a moment.**

" **I know."**

"Jaune… you're not that man anymore. Yang said so," said Pyrrha.

The students didn't see what he was like at that point, but they had all seen who he was now. He was hard and cold, but there was still a part of his old self that remained alive. Sure he floundered, but he put in the effort to be better.

 **Jaune accepted what he did. It would always be a part of who he was, and even if he was willing to reconcile with himself, he would never forget the horrors he committed. He was a monster…**

"… **But only when I choose to be," said Jaune with resolve.**

 **He would no longer be enslaved to his hate. The monster may be under the surface, but he spent years building discipline, and learning to harness the anger and the fury he had cultivated in his youth. The fruits of his labor had shown itself in the earlier fights, the first true fights he had in years. He was wary, but unafraid. Besides, if he did become a monster again, it would be in the defense of something worth fighting tooth and nail for: his daughter.**

 **Jaune grabbed Yang's ashes by the door, and strode with purpose past the specter that had haunted him for so long.**

' **All in the past, right Yang?' Jaune thought to himself.**

"Yeah," Yang answered.

" **Were you saying something?" asked Juniper who approached with a bag of apples and jerky.**

" **No… just never thought I'd use this again," said Jaune as he gestured to the sword at his hip.**

" **Whoa… an actual sword?"**

" **Yes…"**

 **Jaune looked at Junipers eyes, how they were full of wonder and awe. He could not help but chuckle on the inside. It was the exact same face he made when his father first showed it to him.**

" **Can I learn how to use it?" she asked.**

" **You are already skilled with the bow," pointed out Jaune.**

" **Well… yeah. But mom taught me some of what she knew," began Juniper.**

 **Jaune snorted, his thoughts came to the punching exercise from earlier.**

"Kind of agree with him there," said Yang sheepishly.

"She's young," said Blake, "She'll get better over time."

" **She did! I just thought… maybe, you could also?" Juniper finished.**

"…"

"…"

" **When you're ready," he answered, "Let's go."**

" **Yes, sir!" said Juniper, excited.**

 **Jaune and Juniper took one last look at their ruined cabin, before going south.**

The screen went to black, and Archie removed the volume and successfully sent the volume back to return slot to be archived for later.

"You know, I'm glad I got to see that," said Yang.

"That gruesome fight?" asked Weiss.

Everyone shivered, even Yang.

"No, those moments between Jaune and Juniper. I already concluded Jaune was struggling to be a good dad in this one, but those moments just now, and at the start… It just further shows he loves her, and that he's trying."

"I suspect part of Mr. Arc we know still remains within him, and so long as it does, he'll learn," said Goodwitch.

"Thanks Ms. Goodwitch, and thanks Archie, for letting us see the rest tonight," said Yang.

"Of course," said the Archivist.

"Okay, I feel like going to bed," said Nora.

"Same," said Velvet.

"Me too, I worked out a little harder than I thought," said Sun with a yawn.

"Get some rest then," said Archie, "I have work of my own to do. Several new volumes formed, and they shall need to be archived. I shall see you in a few hours."

"You're not going to try to talk to your boss?" asked Qrow.

"I have sent my messages, and there is still no reply. I can wait," said Archie before walking out of the room.

Everyone shrugged, and moved to the dorms given to them before they bid each other goodnight. Yang lied down on her bed, and closed her eyes.

"Good night, Yang," whispered Ruby, followed by the rest of their team.

"Sleep well," added Pyrrha.

"Thanks guys," she said as sleep took her.

But not before imagined future Jaune's broad form wrapped around her in a loving embrace as they fondly watched their daughter play in the front yard of her home in Patch. She'd get stronger, and make sure that was what she saw if the future, and Jaune, went her way.

 **A/N:**

 **Twenty-nine pages! I hope it didn't seem rushed, especially the intermission portion.**

 **You wanted the Stranger, you got it. Plus I just got the Blades of Chaos in the game, so there was no way in hell I wasn't going to sneak it in this chapter. I am going to count the Stranger as part of the previous reaction, so that there will be four more before the next request reaction.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll see you with the next chapter next week.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Lord Aeon was supposed to be here, but I haven't fully fleshed him out yet.**

 **Cinder's appearance was based off the shadow people in Volume 1 of the series.**

 **Chapter Preview: One-One-Seven (06/16/2018)**

 **Thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Halo 2: 117

_***This is the second version of Chapter 8. See Author's Note at bottom for details.**_

 **Well, I thought I was subtle about it, but a couple of you figured out the preview.**

 **Special shout out to Alexdel27 for filling me in on some of the** _ **Halo**_ **lore through PM. It helped with part 2 of this reaction. I think I'm going to work this reaction like** _ **Les Miserables**_ **, and break it up into segments. This is part one, and like the last two chapters, it's going to count as one reaction. We'll also be getting two new viewers. These additions will be the only ones coming in for a long time, but they are relevant for this chapter and several others I have planned.**

 **Now then, let's begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Halo**_ **is the work of Bungie Studios and Microsoft.**

Chapter 8 – One-One-Seven, Part 1

Ruby bounced up and down to the couch in excitement after she finished her breakfast. Another day, technically given how weird time went in the archive as opposed to the real world, and more movies on a school day!

Earlier, everyone had a brisk morning workout. Sun and Ren gave them all a tour of the gym, since they explored it before everyone else, and showed that it even included a pool for swimming. Miss Goodwitch was particularly pleased with that, but opted to check it before lunch as part of the in between breaks from each showing. After the hour-long exercise period, they all had a high calorie breakfast after they took their showers, and now that their bellies were filled, they all sat on the couch and Archie picked up the next volume.

"So, what are we watching today?" asked Nora.

"Hmm… I suppose you could call it a military drama of sorts," said Archie as he lifted a particularly large volume.

Ironwood perked up at that, and found himself sitting closer to the edge.

"Well pop it in, and let's-" began Yang before they were interrupted by the door opening and closing.

They all turned to see a woman with ice blue eyes, silver hair with the front left in the form of bangs, with the rest in a bun. She wore a white and grey outfit with split sleeves to expose her arms, and a military coat fastened at the neck with a red brooch with military combat boots. She had a presence similar to Miss Goodwitch, but her appearance made her look almost like Weiss.

"Winter?" gasped Weiss with surprise.

"Weiss?" gaped Winter, who then turned to see – she stood at attention and saluted, "General Ironwood, sir?!"

Winter was so caught off guard, she fumbled her salute. Ironwood for his part merely stepped up from his chair and saluted Winter.

"At ease, Specialist," said Ironwood.

Qrow made a gagging noise, but Glynda elbowed him quiet.

"Sir… what is going on? I was about to turn in at my temporary quarters in Summit Academy when-"

The door opened slowly behind, and everyone saw the back of a tan-skin girl with brown hair done in a ponytail that curled at the end. She had dark freckles on her face, arms, and legs and wore a black and plum sleeveless, short-legged stealth suit with zippers and belts running though the attire. She also wore a pair of simple hiking boots, a black glove on her right hand, and had a long foil on her side. She was crouched down, and slowly closed the door as though she were sneaking in. When she faced them, she stopped dead in her tracks when she s looked at the room and up at Winter Schnee.

"A Schnee…?" the mysterious girl blinked a few times, and almost immediately, her skin literally and completely turned an angry shade of red, "Schnee!"

The girl reached for foil in her belt and lunged. Winter immediately fell into a stance, and as the new girl lunged, Winter drew her saber. The newcomer's foil separated to form a dust whip, but before the two weapons could meet, Archie swooped in between the two and grabbed the weapons with his bare hands. The two were surprised by the archivist's actions, and shocked when the weapons phased out into dust.

"More viewers, contentious ones at that, and still no word of Lord Aeon," grumbled Archie.

Sun leaned in toward Blake.

"You think his boss is trolling him?" Sun asked Blake.

Blake just ignored Sun though, as she stared at the red girl with surprise.

"Ilia?" she asked.

The shocked and angry girl whipped at who said her name, and almost immediately turned white as her expression morphed into surprise.

"Blake?" asked Ilia.

"Friend of yours?" asked Weiss, who eyed the newcomer warily.

"An old comrade… and friend" answered Blake.

"Blake?" gasped Ilia, "That's – you're talking to a Schnee so casually…? Don't tell me leadership was right to send me to Kuo Kuana…"

"Leadership…? Kuo Kuana? What are you talking about?" asked Blake, concerned.

"Adam sent us a report about the Breach, and his activities in Vale," began Ilia, her fists shook in confusion, "You, a Belladonna, fighting for the human kingdoms… some are wondering just how loyal your family is to the cause," said Ilia, her skin turned dark green.

"What?" gasped Blake.

"I told myself that there had to be a reason… tell me there is, please. I don't want to think you and your family would turn on-"

"I will never stop fighting for my people, Ilia," declared Blake, "It's just… the White Fang, we've been going down the wrong path for some time."

"So, you're taking the path of your father now, is that it?" asked Ilia.

"I'm making my own path," said Blake, "At least… calm down for a moment. I can explain everything."

"Well… you can start by telling me what this place is. This isn't Vacuo," said Ilia.

"While it pains me to have to side with a would-be-assailant, I too would like to know what is going on, General," said Winter, who did not take her eyes off Ilia.

"I can handle that…" said Archie.

…

…

"Ridiculous!" declared Winter.

"…" Ilia was silent, dumbfounded.

"It is not, Winter," commented Ironwood, "We are here until we are no longer required to be here, I'm afraid."

"Assuming this is for real, why would I be here? I don't even know this Jaune guy!" yelped Ilia.

"Well… we caught a glimpse of a potential future last time. There's a strong possibility that a war is coming," said Ren.

That caught the attention of Winter, and Ilia.

"A war?" asked Winter, alarmed.

"Yes," continued Ozpin, "One that draws in soldiers, huntsmen, I suspect everyone present in this room in one capacity or another."

"…Is that why we are here?" asked Ilia.

"Among other things, perhaps," said Archie, "Your primary purpose for being here is to watch different realities. I have my own ideas as to why, but I have no concrete evidence."

The two newcomers let the information soak. Winter pinched herself hard on the cheek, and blinked a few times.

"Not a nightmare…" growled Winter, "Very well. I do not like this, but if the General and my sister are going along with this… bizarre happening, I shall comply. I had hoped to ask the General for leave to visit my sister anyway."

"Granted," said Ironwood with a shrug.

Permission was redundant after all, though Weiss and Winter brightened at the general's permission.

"I guess I'm stuck here then. Fine, but you will tell me everything Blake," said Ilia, who still eyed the Atlesians with a scowl.

"Of course, I give you my word. And Ilia, it took some time for me to realize, but Weiss is alright," said Blake.

Ilia snorted.

"I'll be the judge of that," said the new faunus.

Winter shot a glare at Ilia, who returned the gesture in kind.

"No fighting," warned Archie.

"So long as she does not trouble me, or my sister. I will endeavor to comply," said Winter.

"I will try to blend into the background, _Miss_ ," spat Ilia in sarcastically subservient tone.

The two glared at one another.

"What did I do to deserve this…?" bemoaned Archie.

Blake and Weiss looked at one another uncomfortably, and took Ilia and Winter respectively to opposite ends of the viewing couch. To the surprise of both of the new viewers, the couch grew wider to accommodate the new guests. As soon as the two sat down, Archie looked at the volume he was about to put in before the arrival of his two new viewers and sighed.

'Maybe this will distract them enough to roll along with things,' he thought.

He put it in, and the lights went down…

"Whoa, what is that?" asked Yang as she saw the first scene.

 **Two groups of figures stared one another down: one was human the other group was comprised of eight foot creatures. The creatures had skin like a lizard, with a long neck, digitigrade legs, four-finger hands, and two sets of mandibles with conical teeth. They wore red, futuristic combat armor that hugged their bodies, and streamline helmets with mandible guards to give a sleek and intimidating appearance. The creature was known to the humans as Elites, a warrior race that was once a part of an alien conglomerate known as the Covenant.**

"Aliens," said Sun, "Look at how tall they are."

"Eight feet tall… that's almost a whole yard taller than you Jimmy," commented Qrow.

"A conglomerate… so, then there are other alien species in this universe?" asked Glynda.

"I suppose there are," said Ozpin, fascinated, "A shame Bartholomew and Peter are not here to see. The two would have a field day with the implications of this information."

"Space! Wow, I can't believe we made it into space!" said Ruby

"Um, guys, I think you should take another look. Those aliens don't exactly look happy to see the humans," said Coco.

 **The humans were tense. Their hands were in plain sight for the elites to see, but they were still in reach of their side arms. The aliens for their part growled, but kept to themselves with eyes on the humans. The tension was of little surprise for anyone who lived through the past couple of decades. Almost immediately upon first contact, the Covenant declared war on humanity. Their theocratic leadership declared the human race an unclean species, and for thirty years, the Covenant launched a genocidal campaign against humanity. Elites once commanded the Covenant military, and led their forces to carry out the deaths of billions of humans, regardless of age or gender.**

"Billions?" gasped Glynda.

"Genocidal…?" balked Blake.

"That's…" began Ilia, aback.

"What some in the White Fang are advocating, according to our intelligence," finished Winter.

"Never!" shouted Blake.

"Not to the degree described, perhaps. But there are… _some_ in the extreme fringe of the organization, who wouldn't mind such a thing happening," said the elder Schnee.

"Adam…?" began Blake, who turned to Ilia.

Ilia shifted a little uncomfortably, at Blake's stare.

"He's not endorsing it, but he's not condemning that kind of talk either," said Ilia.

"Sienna wouldn't allow it. No matter her politics or views, that path would only lead our people to disaster," said Blake.

"…Blake, her popularity is waning. Some of leadership think she has gone soft, and that Adam is a worthy successor," said Ilia.

Blake balled her hands into fists. She had been gone for a whole school year, and this is the path the organization she and her family once devoted their lives to was headed toward? Adam back then was going down the path to war, and when reason refused to get through to him, she left. Had Adam been pushed farther down that he wouldn't condemn such a notion as genocide?

'Did my leaving push him over the edge?' she thought.

 **The Covenant nearly succeeded, and billions of humans were slaughtered. Humanity's once mighty empire was reduced to its first planet and home world. However, a civil war erupting within the Covenant, known to them as The Great Schism, brought hostilities to an end.**

"Thank goodness," said Velvet.

"That sounds too convenient an event," said Ironwood.

"What do you mean?" asked Blake.

"As glad as I am that these Covenant failed in their campaign, it just doesn't seem right. Victory so close in one's grasp, and suddenly a civil war breaks out and the war ends? It just seems off," said Ironwood.

"Should it matter?" asked Yang, "Humanity survived, and from what we can tell with the two groups we're seeing, they aren't fighting a war anymore."

"Yet," said Qrow darkly before he sighed, "Look the thing just started guys, they haven't even said two words to each other. Maybe if we all pipe down and watch, we'll figure it out as we go along. What do you say?"

"Agreed… Ugh, never thought I'd say that about something _you_ said," scowled Winter.

Qrow just smirked, but said nothing when everyone settled down.

 **One elite approached the group of humans. The human leader, a man with silver-white combat armor with his face hidden by his helmet with a blue-lit visor, went to confront the alien. The human and his team were the latest generation of Spartans, a group of elite super soldiers developed by humanity. During the war, the Spartans had developed a bitter rivalry with the Elites, and were called "Demons" from the Covenant leadership because of how destructive a single Spartan could be to Covenant forces.**

"So, they're like huntsman? Protecting humanity from destructive forces, and keeping people safe?" asked Ruby.

"It would appear so," said Ozpin, interested by what could be this universe's version of extraordinary warriors.

" **I do not trust you," said the elite, who then glanced elsewhere for a moment, "** _ **He**_ **may, but I do not."**

" **Noted," responded the human tersely.**

"They speak our language?" asked Coco.

"Understandable," piped in Ilia for the first time, "If you fought someone for that long, it'd make sense if you figured out how to speak their language."

Some of them were surprised at her commentary. Ilia noticed the stares they gave, and crossed her arms.

"Hey, I'm stuck here. Might was well supply my opinion, or is that not allowed?" she said defensively.

"No it's allowed," said Yang with a smile, which broke some of the tension, "In fact, it's pretty much encouraged here."

Ilia blinked in surprise at how friendly Yang was being. She leaned over to Blake.

"She… knows what I am, right?" whispered Ilia.

"She knows. You knowing me is a giveaway," responded Blake.

"Why is she being so friendly then?" whispered Blake.

"You could always ask me," whispered Yang. Ilia jumped in surprise that Yang would intrude on a private conversation, "You guys need to work on your 'sneaky conversations.' Look, I'll be honest, I never thought much of the Fang before meeting Blake and Weiss. After the incident at the docks and the Breach… I _don't_ like them. Some of the things you guys have done when your organization got radicalized, it's messed up. However, Blake thinks you're cool, so I'll give you a chance."

"You'd take a chance on me?" asked Ilia.

" _A_ chance, as in one," clarified Yang before she took on a serious expression, "Should I doubt my partner?"

Ilia felt a crushing weight within her and gulped.

"No, you shouldn't doubt Blake… wait, partner?"

"Guys, cut the chatter for later," said Coco, "We're missing out."

The three stopped talking and saw that Archie had paused the viewing.

"Finished?" he asked.

"Sorry," said Blake.

Archie released the spell, and the VHS played further on.

 **The elite growled, and clicked his mandibles at the human's response. Although the Human-Covenant War ended years ago, and some attempts at making peace had been made, both sides have not forgotten the bloodshed.**

"Kind of hard to since there was a genocide," said Qrow.

"Indeed," said Glynda.

"Given the level of bloodshed, peace will be generations in the making, provided the old hatreds stay in the past, not passed down to their children, and channels of communication remain open. Otherwise, both races will be doomed to repeat the bloodshed," said Ozpin.

"I get why they'd be angry, I would be too. But making your kids hate someone because of what that someone's ancestors did sounds so… wrong," said Ruby.

"That's reality, Ruby," said Weiss, "I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's the reality of people who have lived through wars. They tell their children that the other's kind can't be trusted, and it continues the cycle. Even if some might find it in their hearts to forgive, that doesn't mean they'll forget."

Ruby frowned a little, but thought on Weiss' words when she thought of Jaune in the viewings from the night before. That version of Jaune had fought and lived through a war, and struggled to move on. That struggle had put a strain on his relationships with Yang and Juniper, and while she and Yang got why he acted that way, neither of them liked that.

" **My friend's trust is not the issue today, Spartan Locke," said another voice in the background.**

"Uh, Ren. That's your voice," said Pyrrha.

Ren and Nora blinked as a figure stepped forward from the darkness.

" **It is my trust you must earn," said a larger elite in ornamental armor, and the other backed off.**

" **Arbiter," greeted Locke.**

"I'm… one of the aliens in this universe?" asked Ren in shock.

"Yeah… and a big one at that," said Nora.

 **The Elite was different from the others in the room. He was taller, with more old fashioned armor. It had articulated metal reminiscent of medieval knights, with a large frill at the back of the helm. The armor indicated that this elite was the Arbiter, a title bestowed upon on only their finest warriors. The human, Locke, knew the Arbiter well from his time in ONI, the Office of Naval Intelligence. Before he became the Arbiter, Ren was the most dangerous Covenant commander of the war. Known for his unpredictable tactics, Ren was responsible for the destruction of seven colony worlds, and over an estimated one billion human casualties.**

"I… I did that?" Ren nearly choked at the number.

"NO!" said Nora, " _You_ didn't."

"It's my soul though…" whispered Ren.

Nora put her hands on his cheeks, and turned his attention to her.

"That's _**not**_ you. Understand?" she said firmly.

Ren was quiet, but acknowledged Nora's logic with a nod.

"No offense Ren, but why would humanity work with this version of you then?" asked Weiss, which got the attention of the two members of JNPR.

"The war did end… Do you suppose humans and these aliens are attempting to work together in another attempt to make peace?" asked Pyrrha, who attempted to make her friend feel better.

"It's possible," replied Ozpin, "It suggests that the two groups trust each other to some extent. Perhaps they are past the talking phase, and are now doing a joint exercise."

"Kind of tense for a simple joint exercise," countered Qrow.

" **You are a hunter, yes? A seeker of things," started Ren.**

" **That's not the official job title, but it's close enough," said Locke.**

" **And now you hunt other Spartans?" finished the Ren.**

" **I'm not so much hunting a Spartan," began Locke as he fished for something in his pocket, "As I'm hunting for** _ **the**_ **Spartan."**

 **Locke presented a projection disk that revealed a holographic figure clad head to toe in Mjolnir combat armor, with a battle rifle in his hands. The helmet hid the face with an opaque yellow visor that made him recognizable to friend and foe alike. Ren could not help but gasp in surprise at Locke's target.**

" **You seek…"**

" **One-one-seven," said Locke.**

"That must be Jaune," said Nora.

"We can't see his face. Why do you think so?" asked Weiss.

"The armor, duh," said Nora.

"This is Jaune's archive…" added Pyrrha.

" **I was not told the identity of your prey," said Ren, almost irritated.**

" **That is why I'm sharing it with you now," said Locke, "We're talking about trust, after all."**

 **Locke looked to some of the other elites, who still eyed him and his team warily.**

" **May I ask you something?" he began, and Ren nodded, "Your people used to call him 'Demon.' Was that an insult, or a compliment?"**

 **Ren looked to his elites, who seemed to be riled up by the title, and he chuckled.**

"… **An insult to be sure," said Ren, "But one with a modicum of respect."**

"Jaune and I were enemies…" Ren realized.

"It makes sense," said Velvet, "Your races are enemies in this universe."

"Not now…" said Ilia, "I mean, there's obviously tension, but they aren't killing each other."

"Rivals, then," said Blake.

 **Ren walked past Locke with a thoughtful expression on his face.**

" **He was indeed my enemy," said Ren, almost nostalgically, "But in time, I named him ally, even friend. The events which forged this bond were… complicated."**

"Well that just proves the guy in armor is Jaune," said Nora, "Not-Ren-Ren just said he and other Jaune are friends."

"Not-Ren-Ren?" Ren asked.

"He has your soul, but he's still not you. Not-Ren-Ren," declared Nora, as though it solved confusion.

Ren blinked, but went back to watching. Just when he thought he knew Nora… He shouldn't be surprised.

 **Ren closed his eyes as he recalled the past, before his time as Arbiter…**

…

…

 **A large floating mass of debris orbited a gas giant in the remote depths of space. Fires still burned along its twisted mass, and occasionally explosions would flare up. Amid the sight were fleets of ships gathering. The vessels were sleek in design, resembling tear drops that glided along effortlessly like giant rays in deep seas. The ships were heading toward a large structure resembling a mushroom that situated itself not too far from the floating debris. This structure was High Charity, the holy city of the Covenant.**

"Flashback!" said Nora.

"How big do you think it is?" asked Ruby, "It looks like you could fit all the major cities of Remnant into that thing!"

"These Covenant are a conglomerate. They must have built the structure to accommodate as many of their peoples as they could," said Glynda.

 **In a grand building within the city, Ren stood clad in yellow armor that fit his form, and his rank. He was a fleet commander, leader of Particular Justice, and he stood before the Prophets and the High Council of the Covenant: the religious and political leadership of their holy league. However, he did not stand with pride, but rather shame. The debris outside their city was once a beautiful object: a Halo ring. It was foretold that the great Halo would be the gateway to salvation, and transcendence. A means of fulfilling the promise of the Covenant. Ren was supposed to protect it, and he failed.**

"A gateway to salvation?" questioned Weiss, skeptical at the notion.

"This Covenant is a theocracy, if I recall the narration," replied Winter.

"So Archie, any gateways to salvation for your Supreme One?" asked Qrow in a joking manner.

"Are you mocking me, and the Supreme One, Branwen?" questioned Archie, "I know the archivist for your archive hub. We could show the viewers what you did with your sister at that one party in Beacon."

"…What happened?" asked Yang, curious and fearful.

"Nothing!" said Qrow quickly.

Qrow went white at the thought of Yang finding out, and took a deep swig from his flask.

" **There was only one ship," said Ren embarrassed.**

" **One?" asked a voice, incredulous, "Are you sure?"**

 **Ren opened his eyes, and dared to look at those questioning him. There were three, all of them on floating thrones, and wore fine robes and golden crowns with holographic circles in the middle. They each had long necks, large eyes, a bulging, elongated cranium, and beards and elongated earlobes. They were the Prophets of Regret, Truth, and Mercy, though Regret was present through a hologram projector.**

" **Yes, they called it… The Pillar of Autumn," answered Ren.**

 **The High Council muttered in disbelief at the fact that a single human ship destroyed a holy ring.**

"Fools," said Winter, "Never underestimate an enemy, no matter how small in number."

"These events are likely toward the end of the war when humanity is on its last legs," said Ozpin, "The voice of Ren doesn't sound too different from the opening of the viewing."

"All the more reason to not underestimate the enemy," insisted Winter, "An enemy backed into a corner, with few options, can be more dangerous than a horde."

"Oh, I'm sure you know all about backing people into corners," muttered Ilia.

Winter shot the faunus a cold glare, and Ilia smirked at the reaction she got.

" **Why was it not destroyed with the rest of their fleet?" demanded Mercy.**

" **It fled. As we set fire to their planet," answered Ren, "But I followed with all the ships in my command."**

"This appears to be an inquest," said Weiss.

"What's that?" asked Ruby.

"A means of obtaining information in regards to an incident, or event," answered Weiss.

"It seems like Not-Ren-Ren is in hot water," said Sun.

"Please don't…" Ren groaned.

Ruby and the other Beacon students giggled.

" **When you first saw Halo," began the Prophet of Regret, "were you blinded by its majesty?"**

" **Blinded?" questioned Ren, confused.**

" **Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?" added Regret.**

" **No," said Ren.**

" **Yet the humans were able to evade your ships, land on the sacred ring, and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps!"**

 **Outrage erupted from the council, and Ren flinched at the curses.**

"Yikes, he's like some of the crowd in the White Fang rally we infiltrated," said Sun.

"You infiltrated a rally?" asked Ilia.

"Yeah," chimed in Blake, "Apparently, Adam made a deal with Roman Torchwick and the crook smuggled in some prototype Paladins from Atlas."

"Why would Adam do that?" asked Ilia, shocked, "Torchwick is wanted criminal and a human, and you and I both know how he feels about humans."

"Politics makes strange bedfellows," answered Ozpin, "This Adam likely considered Torchwick a necessary evil in advancing his cause."

Ilia was stunned. It was one thing to work with a human sympathizer, but a crook like Torchwick? Sienna would have been appalled if she found out.

" **Noble Hierarchs," Ren began, "Surely you understand that once the parasites attacked-"**

 **Gasps of fear spread throughout the room, but Mercy silenced them as he slammed a hand down on his chair.**

" **There will be order in this council," Mercy declared.**

"What's this about a parasite? Is that what they think about humanity?" asked Pyrrha.

"Doubtful," said Coco, "These aliens nearly killed off humanity in this universe. I doubt the mention of them would get such a fearful response. It might be something else."

 **At last, the Prophet of Truth approached from the middle of the three.**

" **You were right to focus your attention on the Flood. But this demon, this Master Chief…" plied Truth.**

 **Ren closed his eyes. He saw Halo, intact. Its serene beauty, its graceful purity. It was like a beacon in the darkness, and one that would burn a path through the dark, cold void of space. Then a flash of light, and the ring was shattered, and destroyed. The sight filled him with fury, and shame.**

" **By the time I learned the demon's intent… there was nothing I could do," said Ren.**

" **TRAITOR!"**

" **Unbeliever!"**

"This is more of a show trial than anything else," said Qrow.

"Yes… you appear to be right," said Ozpin.

 **As the curses of the council pelted his pride and honor, he heard the chuckle of a brutish creature covered head to toe in white, grey, brown hair with leather pauldrons, and a bandolier. Ren knew him well: Cardin, Chieftain of the Brutes.**

"A fitting position," commented Weiss.

"I'll say," muttered Velvet.

 **Regret's hologram leaned over to Truth.**

" **Noble Prophet of Truth, this has gone on long enough. Make an example of this bungler! The council demands it!" he said.**

 **Truth raised a hand to silence the ruckus of the High Council.**

" **You are one of our most treasured instruments," began Truth, "Long have you led your fleet with honor and distinction… but your inability to safeguard Halo, was a colossal failure…"**

" **Nay! It was heresy!" said a counselor in the stands.**

"Does that person even know the definition of heresy?" asked Weiss.

"The loss of something sacred has stoked their passions," commented Ozpin, "Such acts it seems are not just limited to humans."

" **Heretic! Heretic! Heretic!" cried out the council.**

 **The word was a knife to Ren's pride and family honor that stabbed over and over with each utterance.**

" **I will continue my campaign against the humans!" Ren declared with the hopes that avenging the loss of Halo would show his devotion to the Covenant was not in question.**

" **No!" declared Truth, "You will not."**

 **Truth gestured to Cardin, who barked to some of his Brutes. Two of them, brown in their hair color with red paudrons and helms, made to grab Ren, but the disgraced fleet commander shoved them away and growled. Ren knew what would befall him, and if he was to be made an example of, he would walk to his doom with what little dignity and honor he had left.**

On the one hand, Ren felt sorry for this version of himself, on the other, this version of himself was part of a species that killed billions of humans. To say he felt conflicted was an understatement.

 **The brutes followed Ren close behind, though.**

" **Soon the Great Journey shall begin," began Truth, "But when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind."**

"They sound almost like our council," muttered Qrow, "Thanks, now hit the road.' You know?"

"I am seeing the similarities," agreed Ozpin.

"What do you think is going to happen to Ren?" asked Nora.

"Nothing good," said Pyrrha.

Ren was silent.

…

 **In another part of the galaxy, in the shadow of a moon, a large fleet of ships went to and fro between a blue planet and the several space stations. The stations had a two docking platform for ships, linked together by a ring structure. In the middle of the rings were two spires, one facing the void of space, and another facing the planet.**

"Is this the human side? That looks like our moon, but it's whole," pointed out Ruby.

"It's beautiful," said Weiss, who had fond memories of watching the moon when she was younger.

"Check out those space stations. How big do you think they are?" asked Yang.

"Probably the size of Beacon," answered Coco.

 **On one of these stations, Defense Platform Cairo, a grizzled gunnery sergeant, affectionately called "Master Guns" by most of the people on the station, gave a dressing down to a seven foot tall man in green, heavy armor with short blond hair in a high-and-tight haircut, with placid blue eyes, and white skin.**

"It's Jaune! You were right Nora," said Ruby.

"Hmm… so that is the Arc lad you mentioned in your letters," said Winter to her sister, her eyes lit up in a curious manner.

"Yes, but he's a lot… shorter in our reality," said Weiss.

RBY, and Pyrrha looked to her with questioning looks.

"Well he is," said Weiss.

" **The plating was about to fail, there's viscosity throughout the gel layer. Optics, totally fried. And let's not even talk about the power supply. You know how expensive this gear is, son?" asked Guns.**

 **Jaune put on his helmet when he was asked the question. There was a click and the sound of an air seal when, and Jaune looked to the man, who couldn't see his smirk behind the helmet's visor.**

" **Tell that to the Covenant," Jaune answered with a grizzled voice.**

"Oh my god, that voice," said Coco dreamily.

"I'm with you there, right Pyrrha?" said Yang.

"Oh my…" said the Mistral champion.

"It doesn't sound too different from his voice in the last one," pointed out Sun.

"It is," said Yang, "In the last one, he was broody and stern. Here he's… confident."

"Smooth," said Pyrrha.

"Rugged," pointed out Coco and Velvet at the same time.

Even Ruby and Weiss blushed at the word use of their friends, and the accuracy. Glynda, and Winter felt a little hot themselves, and both undid a button on their dress shirts… to circulate air flow.

 **The sergeant shook his head, and sighed.**

" **Well, I guess it was obsolete anyway," he began, "Your new suit's a Mk. VI, just came up from Songnam this morning. Try and take it easy until you get used to the upgrades.**

 **The sergeant gestured to a ring by the table with his old suit's gear.**

" **Ok, let's test your targeting first thing. Please look at the top light…"**

 **A light at the top of the ring lit up, and Jaune followed it.**

" **Good… now the bottom…" prompted the sergeant.**

 **Jaune followed the man's instructions until he was satisfied with the new suit's targeting system.**

" **Everything checks out," said the sergeant, "Stand by, I'm going to offline the inhibitors."**

 **The joints of his armors leg plating unlocked, and Jaune felt his legs flex.**

" **Move around a little, get a feel for it. When you're ready, come meet me by the zapper."**

 **Jaune walked, jumped, and sprinted for a bit. The armor felt more fluid, and flexible. It was also a lot more comfortable that the last one, also. He got to a station with a downward bar held by a centrifuge in front a red terminal with a hand mark.**

" **Pay attention, because I'm only going over this once," said the sergeant, "This station will test your recharging energy shields. Your new armor's shields are extremely resilient, very efficient."**

 **Jaune pressed a red terminal, and the bar lit up, and spun around Jaune's body.**

 **Zap…! The shield broke, and his HUD displayed the shield meter was empty with a flashing indicator**

" **Bingo!" said the sergeant.**

 **The shield suddenly began to recharge.**

" **As you can see, they recharge a lot faster."**

"Wow, that armor looks so cool! I wonder what other features it has," gushed Ruby.

"That armor and shielding system would be quite a project, don't you think General?" asked Winter.

"Yes… Perhaps Dr. Polendina can work on it when he has the time," said Ironwood.

 **As the shield began to recharge, the elevator behind the gunnery sergeant opened to reveal a tall man with black hair, pale-white skin, red eyes, and slight stubble along the jawline. He was in a clean, pressed white military uniform with a white yacht cap with the UNSC coat of arms, and a Purple Heart medal on his left lapel. He also wore white formal dress shoes to complete the pristine look.**

"Uncle Qrow?!" said Ruby.

Winter and Ironwood balked at the sight of Ozpin's drunkard of an agent in full dress uniform. Qrow saw the expression on their faces and burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, look at that," said Qrow with a cocky grin, "I look good, dontcha think Jimmy?"

"It's so weird seeing you so… clean," said Yang.

Qrow chuckling turned into a cough.

"I know," added Ruby, "Uncle Qrow is cool, but I'm used to seeing him with dirt and stains on his clothes. This is so weird."

Qrow looked at his shirt, which caused Winter to smirk.

"Oh, and he-" began Yang.

"Okay, I get it, you can knock it off girls," groused Qrow with a pout.

Winter and Ironwood snickered.

" **If your shields go down, find some cover, wait for the shields to read 'fully-charged," said the gunnery sergeant as the centrifuge stopped spinning.**

" **That, or he can hide behind me," said Qrow, "You done with my pal here, Master Guns? I don't see any training wheels."**

" **His armor's working fine Branwen, so shut your chili hole," growled Guns, who then turned to Jaune, "You're free to go, son. Just remember, take things slow."**

" **Don't worry, I'll hold his hand," said Qrow.**

 **Jaune and Branwen made their way to the elevator, and Branwen pressed the button to go up.**

" **So, Branwen," started Guns, "When're you going to tell me how you made it back home in one piece?"**

" **Sorry Guns, it's classified," said Qrow.**

" **Ha! My ass!" rebuked Guns as the doors closed, "Well, you can forget about those adjustments to your A2 scope-"**

 **Qrow snickered.**

" **Well, he's in a particularly fine mood," commented Qrow, "I guess Jimmy didn't give him an invitation."**

"This outfit is certainly… rambunctious," said Winter.

"You Atlas types could learn from them. You'd be a lot more fun to be around with if you weren't such sticks in the mud," said Qrow.

Winter growled.

 **Jaune shrugged, and Qrow rolled his eyes at him. The two left the elevator when it stopped moving, and made their way to a tram. Before that though, Jaune and Qrow looked out one of the overhead windows, and saw the planet they orbited along with the fleet of ships moving about. They kept their eyes on the sight, as they entered the tram.**

" **Earth," said Qrow, "Heh, haven't seen it in years.**

"Do you think that's what Remant looks like from space?" asked Ruby in awe.

"Yes, it wouldn't surprise me if it did," said Ozpin.

The planet was a beautiful sight, and it was far better than any movie portrayal. What amazed them most was that on the dark side of the planet was covered in lights.

"What do you think those lights are?" asked Ilia.

"I believe those could be cities… or signs of settlement," said Ironwood, wary of who he answered.

"There's so many," said Nora.

"Are there no Grimm in this universe?" said Winter in awe.

If there were no Grimm, then was humanity able to spread throughout the planet? Everyone in the room felt a tinge of envy if that was case. Grimm were the key reason neither humans nor faunus invested too many resources in expansion.

There was a time when such a reality was possible. It was in the time when the kingdoms lived up to their namesakes, and were led by monarchs and aristocrats. In those days, the four nations of Remnant invested heavily in arms development, and strong national militaries.

Then the Great War happened. It was so devastating that the Grimm outbursts erupted on an unprecedented scale. It forced a temporary ceasefire that ended when the Grimm were back under control, and though the war continued and ended with a Vale-Vacuo victory, people blamed anything their minds could latch onto as the cause for the senseless waste of life. The overconfidence the kings of old had when it came to their massive armies was declared one of the reasons, and the reason was not without merit. Defense spending was reduced, and armies were cut down in size, though Atlas found a loophole with automaton soldiers.

Mutual peace was soon declared among the kingdoms of Remnant. However for families and communities in the old imperial frontiers of Vale, Mantle, Mistral, and Vacuo who relied on their kingdom's militaries for frontier defense, they were overwhelmed by the tides of Grimm, and bandits. The last major attempt to settle outside of the influence of a kingdom was Mountain Glenn, and that ended so horribly no kingdom was willing to try again.

"A world without the Grimm. These people are truly fortunate," said Ozpin sincerely.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

 **Jaune briefly wondered if he had been on the planet. It was the capital and birthplace of humanity, and he figured he might have been there once before he became a part of the Spartan-II program. After the augmentation process though, well, memories before the program were fuzzy at best. The tram started to move, and his thoughts ended.**

" **When I shipped out for Basic, the Orbital Defense Grid was all theory and politics. Now look," said Qrow before he gestured to the area around him, "The Cairo is just one of three hundred geo-sync platforms."**

"Three hundred?" coughed out Coco.

"They must have been fabulously wealthy to build so many" said Glynda.

"Or desperate, as the war dragged on," countered Winter.

"Both?" suggested Blake.

Glynda and Winter looked at one another before they nodded in agreement with Blake.

 **Qrow pointed to the spire that sat in the middle of the platform.**

" **That MAC gun could put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship," said Qrow before he went to the other side of the tram.**

"Those spires in all the stations are cannons…" whispered Ruby with stars in her eyes, "Oh my gosh, I wish I could see the specs of that… that…"

Ruby sighed, at a loss for words for engineering marvel she bore witness to.

 **Two more platforms were in view from where Branwen was standing.**

" **With coordinated fire from the Athens and the Malta, nothing is getting past this battle cluster in one piece. Ships have been arriving all morning. Nobody's saying much, but I'll bet something big's about to happen."**

 **The tram stopped, and Jaune felt uncomfortable at the sight that awaited him: cheering crowds of marines, and floating news cameras. It wasn't that he didn't want the marines to be happy, they could use a good morale boost considering the state of the war. It's just that Spartans like himself weren't really people persons.**

"I can understand," said Winter, "The last thing I want to have to deal with when I get back from a mission are journalists."

"Oh? Afraid to answer questions and face the truth about the horrors you, or your family perpetrate on ordinary people, Specialist?" jabbed Ilia.

"More like trying not to stab nosy busybodies trying to trap me with questions regarding my personal life, to which they know nothing about and is none of their business," retorted Winter.

Archie sighed as Blake and Weiss tried to calm down Ilia and Winter respectively.

" **You told me there wouldn't be any cameras," said Jaune as he and Qrow walked through the crowds to the Cairo's control room.**

" **And you told me you were going to wear something nice," scoffed Qrow, "Folks need heroes Chief, to give them home. So smile, would ya? While we still have something to smile about."**

 **Outside a door, two officers saluted, and Qrow took off his hat to fix his hair. When they were ready, the duo entered the room…**

…

 **Ren walked out of the High Council chambers, and was greeted by an angry mob. The mob was comprised of primarily two species: the Grunts, and the Jackals. Grunts were stocky in their appearance with stubby legs, wrinkled grey skin, an exoskeleton, and heavy arms. They were the frontline fighters, and laborers of the Covenant Empire. The jackals had a sinewy, slender appearance, large eyes, long snouts, and sharp claws and teeth. They were better fighters than grunts, with sharper senses that made them ideal for sniping and scouting.**

"They've appeared to have assimilated, if not conquered other races," said Glynda.

"If they were willing to incorporate other races, why not just conquer the humans?" asked Velvet.

Everyone turned to Velvet in surprise.

"I mean… I don't want that to happen, but they were willing to do it to those other species. Why wipe humanity off the face of the universe with a campaign of extinction," Velvet clarified.

"If I recall, their prophets referred to humans as an unclean species," said Ozpin.

"But why?" asked Velvet.

"It's hard to say. While they may be technologically advanced, it would appear that their culture is more medieval as it relates to the relationship between the church and the state," began Glynda, "As Bartholomew would point out, it wouldn't take much to invite war with such a society… no, wait. Ugh, Bartholomew would have worded that better."

"So… humans did something to upset some people in this Covenant?" suggested Coco.

"Yes, perhaps. It's possible," said Glynda, glad someone understood her point.

"Humans upsetting people. What are the odds?" muttered Ilia.

"Ilia, please. We don't know the whole story," said Blake.

" **HERETIC! HERETIC! HERETIC!" the mob screamed.**

 **Eventually, Ren, Cardin, and the two brute escorts halted at the edge of the High Council's landing platform. Cardin saw the size of the mob, and chuckled. He turned to Ren, who his arms shackled to two glowing rings floating above his head.**

" **You've drawn quite a crowd," said Cardin.**

" **If they came to hear me beg, they will be disappointed," said Ren.**

" **Are you sure?" said Cardin.**

 **Suddenly, the rings sparked, and lightning erupted. Ren felt the rush of electricity ignite his body, and flood his nerves with pain. Ren held it in as best he could, but it was too much to bear.**

" **RRREEEAAAAGGGGGHHH!"**

Ren winced at the sight of his other self being electrocuted, and shivered when the crowded demanded more be done.

…

 **Jaune approached Lord James Ironwood, leader of the UNSC Navy, and saluted him among the cheering officers. Ironwood replied in kind.**

" **Gentlemen, we're lucky to have you back," said Ironwood**

Ironwood laughed.

"Oh I wish I had my scroll! _You_ , saluting me!" said Ironwood.

"That salute's a two-way street buddy. At least your counterpart can appreciate talent," said Qrow.

"Considering humanity's desperate situation, they could use anyone they could get," said Ironwood, "But at least I got something enjoyable out of this situation we're both in."

 **An officer whispered in Ironwood's ear, and he looked to a pedestal with a light in the center.**

" **Go ahead, Glynda."**

 **Immediately, a hologram of Glynda appeared. She was green in color, her curled hair flowed down to her shoulders. She had no clothes, but there were no details in regards to her nude state. Instead, she had general, feminine silhouette with coding visibly running through her holographic body.**

" **Another whisper near Io, we have probes en route."**

"The last time I saw you with your hair down was when you were a student at Beacon," commented Ozpin.

"Looking good, Ms. Goodwitch," said Nora.

"Really, they couldn't give this version of me clothes?" stammered Glynda, blushing at the virtually nude avatar.

James and Qrow, discreetly, tried to burn the image of sort-of-naked Glynda into their minds.

" **I'm sorry gentlemen, but we're going to have to cut this short," said Ironwood.**

 **Glynda then turned to Jaune and Branwen, and her professional mask gave way to a wry smile.**

" **You look nice," Glynda said to the duo.**

" **Thanks," "Thank you," said Jaune and Qrow respectively.**

 **The two looked at each other, and wondered who she was addressing.**

"So… who were you addressing?" asked Yang in a teasing manner.

"I can't speak for _that_ variation of myself Ms. Xiao Long, or perhaps you can tell me what that _charming_ version of yourself we saw a while ago meant? What did he call me again…?"

Yang got nervous, and focused back on the screen, to the deputy headmistress' delight.

 **The two returned their attention to Ironwood, who held a medal in his hands.**

" **Sergeant Major," began Ironwood to Branwen, "The Colonial Cross is awarded for actions of singular daring and devotion. For a soldier of the United Earth Space Corps…"**

…

" **There can be no greater heresy!" declared Cardin to the mob.**

" **Let him be an example to all who would break our covenant!"**

 **The mob cheered in bloodthirsty delight.**

 **Cardin barked to two brutes, who approached Ren's sagged form. The armor, once gold and lustrous, had charred black, and his skin and armor smoked from the earlier shocks.**

Ren gulped at what his counterpart been put through, but he also had to remind himself what this version of himself had done to humanity.

 **Ren's breathing was ragged and he felt two sets of heavy hands grab his armor, and they pulled hard.**

…

 **Ironwood faced the officers to his back, and focused his attention on a woman with ice blue eyes and white hair: Commander Winter Schnee of the frigate UNSC In Amber Clad.**

"Commander?" said Winter with keen interest, "I have my own ship as well."

"A well-deserved title, I'm sure," said Ironwood.

"I agree," added Weiss.

Qrow and Ilia both gagged a little.

" **Commander Schnee, please step forward," said Ironwood.**

 **Winter stood taller, and stepped forward to the line formed by Qrow and Jaune. She turned her heel a full 180 and faced the Admiral.**

" **Commander Winter Schnee," began Ironwood, "Your mother's actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service. Her bravery in the face of impossible odds reflect great credit on herself, and the UNSC. The navy has lost one of its best."**

 **Ironwood gave Winter a small case with a Colonial Cross within, and she accepted it graciously. She sniffed at the sight of the posthumous award for her mother, but held the tears back.**

Weiss and Winter let the information soak.

"Mother… was a naval officer in this?" asked Weiss.

"Oh, what's she like? I mean maybe she's not in the navy or something, but I bet she's cool. Right?" asked Ruby.

"…"

"Weiss?" asked Ruby, concerned.

"Let's just say that our mother… is very different here," said Winter.

"Yes… different," said Weiss, who kept herself from saying "A drunk."

Ruby couldn't help but wince at the thought of upsetting her partner. She was about to say something, but Yang shook her head "no." Ruby turned back to the screen.

…

 **Charred armor was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, and Ren, stripped and publically humiliated, saw an object rise from the hole near where he stood. He shuddered in horror as Cardin lifted up the object, to reveal a brand with the Covenant's mark of shame. Cardin stomped over, and thrusted the brand against Ren's chest hard, and pushed it further.**

" **AARRGH!" Ren cried out in pain, and in shame.**

 **Now, all would know he was a failure, today and forever.**

"As one hero rises, another falls," commented Ozpin.

Ren remained quiet.

…

 **The alarm suddenly went off, red lights flashed and horns blared.**

" **Split-space ruptures directly outside our battle cluster," said Glynda.**

" **Show me," said Ironwood.**

 **Glynda brought up the radar.**

" **Fifteen Coventant capital ships holding position just outside the kill zone.**

"Fifteen? Kind of a small number," commented Ilia, "Attacking any defensive arrangement would require at least three times the number of defenders to ensure defenses get overwhelmed."

"It could also be a vanguard, or a reconnaissance force," said Winter warily.

" _ **This is Fleet Admiral Harper. We are engaging the enemy,"**_ **said a voice through the comms.**

" **No, admiral. Form a defensive perimeter around the cluster," said Ironwood before he faced Winter, "Commander get back to your ship. Link up with the fleet."**

" **Yes, sir," said Winter with a salute before she made her way to the docking bay.**

 **Ironwood turned to Glynda.**

" **You have the MAC gun, Glynda," said Ironwood, "As soon as they come in range, open up."**

" **Gladly."**

"So, the enemy is at the gates," said Ozpin.

"And, it's the home world as well," said Glynda, "They must be terrified."

"Of course. The sight of the enemy, so close to everything you've known and held dear? For any military or nation, this is the worst case scenario," said Ironwood.

"That just means we'll fight meaner and harder," said Yang.

"Yeah!" said Nora, "Humanity will show 'em who's boss."

 **Ironwood looked up to the screen.**

" **Something's not right. The fleet that destroyed Reach was fifty times this size," said Ironwood.**

" **Sir, additional contacts. Boarding craft, and lots of them," said an officer in the control room.**

" **They're going to try to take our guns offline. Give their ships a straight shot at earth," Ironwood turned to Jaune, "Master Chief, defend this station."**

" **Yes, Sir," said Jaune before he turned to Qrow, "I need a weapon."**

" **Right this way," said Qrow with a smile.**

 **The two exited the control room and went down the stairs. Several arms lockers opened, and few marines broke out the heavy gear in storage crates. Jaune got a battle rifle and a pair of SMGs from the lockers while Qrow got a heavy turret from the crate.**

"No swords? Scythes?" questioned Ruby.

"It would appear that warrior traditions have died out in this world," commented Winter sadly.

"Then I suppose aura has no place here either," said Pyrrha.

"If this world never had to face the Grimm, I doubt such weapons or even aura would be needed," said Glynda.

" **How's it going, Malta?" asked Qrow to his earpiece as the entered into a stairwell.**

 **A boarding craft could be seen approaching the station, and Qrow set up his turret while Jaune and several other marines took positions behind whatever cover they could find.**

" _ **Stand by… they're latched. Check your targets, watch the crossfire,"**_ **stated a voice from Station Malta,** _ **"They're in standard formation: little bastards up front, big ones in back. Good luck, Cairo."**_

 **The boarding craft breached the hull, and the bulkhead shook with the impact. After a moment, there was banging on the door.**

" **Field of fire on that bulkhead!" ordered Qrow. Suddenly, the seam of the door lit up, and sparks flew from the light, likely a plasma cutter, "As soon as the door opens, let 'em have it."**

 **Eventually, the sparks died down, and the door exploded. The marines waited to see a silhouette of the enemy, and sure enough a swarm of grunts flooded the room, shooting green plasma shots with poor accuracy. Immediately the barrel of Qrow's turret lit up followed by the battle rifle of every marine in the room.**

"Wait a second…" said Ruby.

"What is it?" asked Ren.

"Their ammunition. There's no fire, or ice, or lightning. They aren't using dust rounds?" Ruby asked.

"Impossible!" said Ironwood, "Even standard infantrymen in Atlas have access to dust rounds in the event they face certain threats such as Grimm."

"I think you're forgetting this is another universe," said Ozpin.

"Dust… Another thing this universe lacks?" asked Pyrrha.

"But if there's no dust, then what powers their ships? That station? Those cities on the planet," asked Weiss.

"Humanity must have alternative fuel sources," said Blake, "A world without dust…"

Everything on Remnant ran on dust. Power plants, cars, even scrolls had minute traces of dust embedded in the circuitry.

"This is truly a different universe," said Velvet as her head wrapped around the lack of one of their most familiar tools in their own universe.

"I know… No Grimm, no aura, no dust," listed Yang, "What else isn't here?"

"Faunus," said Sun.

Everyone looked over to the monkey-faunus.

"A lot of places that hire faunus, and have uniform requirements, usually have a budget set aside for alterations to their clothes to accommodate the animal traits. There isn't a single faunus in the entire army from what I can tell," said Sun.

"They probably discriminate," said Ilia.

 **Soon, the grunts were dispatched, and while the marines reloaded Jaune rushed into the fray. On cue, two elites in blue armor rushed in with their plasma rifles. Jaune anticipated this and moved to incept, but one of them got a reloading marine with a direct hit to the neck.**

" **Agggh!" he screamed as his helmet strap melted.**

 **Covenant weapons used a form of radioactive plasma superheated by the weapon's battery, and lobbed at the targets. Getting hit with it was akin to getting hit with napalm, and was every bit as sticky. For almost three decades scientists tried to reverse engineer captured weapons, in the hopes the UNSC could reproduce them and even the odds. For almost three decades, they failed.**

"Getting hit with that stuff's really gotta suck," commented Coco.

"If that soldier's lucky, he'll get off with some severe burns," said Qrow.

"What's unlucky?" asked Coco.

"His face'll melt off," answered the older huntsman.

 **The helmet fell to reveal tan skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes.**

"Sun! That's you," gasped Blake.

Sun instinctively went for his own neck, and rubbed it where his counterpart got hit. He cringed as he saw the writhing on the ground in pain.

"I guess we, faunus, don't exist in this world," said Velvet, who saw no animal appendage on Sun.

Ilia remained quiet at the revelation.

"I guess they _don't_ discriminate," said Weiss.

Ilia glared at Weiss.

 **Jaune immediately attacked the elites with his two SMGs. The elites caught sight and roared in his direction, and aimed their weapons. They were far more accurate than the grunts, landing several shots at him, but his armor's energy shields absorbed most of the damage. He aimed each of the guns at one of them, and when he got close enough, he opened fire. While a number of shots missed, the rapid fire from his weapons tore through the enemy's shields quickly, and gave the marines opportunities for kill shots.**

 **Jaune immediately grabbed the downed marine, and pulled him back to cover.**

" **Medic!" barked Jaune.**

 **Immediately a pale, raven-haired medic with amber eyes came in with a medical kit, and with an ease that only came with practice, began to treat the injured soldier.**

"Blake, it's you," said Sun before he gave relieved laugh, "I guess you're saving my butt."

"I guess so," said Blake, who shared the sentiment.

Ilia frowned at the friendly interaction between the two.

" **Contacts!" said another marine.**

 **More grunts rushed in and their Elite commanders followed behind. It was a common Covenant strategy: use grunts as a distraction or cannon fodder as the elites follow behind to strike at a weakened or reloading enemy. Sure enough, the grunts were mowed down left and right.**

"Sucks to be them. I almost feel sorry for the little guys," said Yang.

"That's… detestable," said Winter.

"Agreed," said Ironwood.

Ironwood and Winter already found these Covenant to be horrid enough, given what they've done to humanity. But the callous disregard these Covenant had for the lives of their soldiers was abhorrent in their eyes. The two Atlesians had led ordinary soldiers with no aura into battle against the grimm and terrorists. They had come to learn their soldiers by name, learned about their families, forged bonds of battle and friendship. Glynda was right, these beings were about as medieval as one could get.

 **Two more waves came, and as always, the same formation, the same strategy. One would think that after almost thirty years of fighting, the Covenant would learn new tricks. However, their inflexible nature was part of why humanity was able to last as long as it did. The waves were dispatched in short order.**

"If I may, Glynda," began Ironwood, "Students, take that as a lesson to always develop new strategies. Those who remain stagnant are often the ones who are overtaken in any conflict."

"A fine point, James," said Glynda.

Ruby, Sun, and Coco decided to come up with new team plans. Pyrrha decided to talk to Jaune as soon as they got out.

" **Chief, clear out the boarders. I'll stay here and protect the command center for now," said Qrow.**

 **Jaune nodded, and looked to the wounded marine from earlier.**

" **He's stable chief," said the raven-haired medic, "I'll keep an eye on him in the command center."**

 **Jaune nodded, and led a squad of marines through the stations halls. Everywhere, there was fighting and death. Grunts, elites, and marines; blood, shell casings, and plasma scars were littered throughout the corridors. The marine squads they ran into were scattered, but were able to hold their own. Their arrival was a much needed morale boost, and when they arrived, they aided the defenders, drove back the enemy, and they all rallied behind him.**

"Go fearless leader! Show them who's boss!" declared Nora.

"I wonder if my counterpart ever fought against Jaune," said Ren.

"Uh… well, maybe you had close confrontations…?" suggested Pyrrha.

"Maybe… you're evenly matched?" suggested Nora, her good mood replaced by confusion.

"It's okay, guys. You can root for Jaune. I am," said Ren.

 **Eventually, Jaune and his squad of marines arrived in the hangar bay for the station's Pelican dropships. They saw two boarding craft latched onto the airlock with holes cut to allow entry. Jaune found the enemy clustered near the entrance as marines in the hangar's upper level shot down on them. The Spartan then found a pile of grenades, and got to work.**

 **He flicked the pins off two grenades and tossed them into the enemy position. Elite's roared in surprise before the explosion, and shrapnel tore through their positon. Jaune leapt down onto the main hangar floor, and opened fire with his battle rifle. The grenades had disengaged their shields, and Jaune quickly dispatched the first craft's boarders. Like clockwork, the boarders from the second ship attacked in standard formation, and like clockwork, Jaune and the marines took care of them.**

" **Hey, check it out. The Malta's already driven off its boarders," said one of the marines after the fighting was done.**

 **Jaune turned to the window to see lights leaving Station Malta, likely the Covenant craft.**

" _ **Malta, what is your status, over?"**_ **asked Glynda through the comms.**

" _ **I don't believe it! They're retreating, we've won!"**_ **said someone from the Malta.**

"Go marines!" declared Nora in triumph.

 **The station exploded in a flash of light, and pieces remained as the light died down.**

 **The Malta was destroyed.**

Nora's face fell.

"What was that?" asked Ruby.

"I think we all know what that was Ruby," said Weiss.

"A bomb," answered Ilia.

" **This is bad… Real bad…" said a marine who saw the station explode.**

 **Suddenly the door opened, and more elites and Grunts showed up.**

 **Jaune and the defenders took them out, and moved through the hallway to the next bay. They cleared all hostiles, and afterward a marine pointed out the window.**

" **Uh oh, hey, they're leaving the Athens," said a marine.**

 **Another flash of light, and the Athens ruptured as well.**

" _ **Glynda, assessment!"**_ **ordered Ironwood.**

" _ **That explosion came from inside the Athens, same as the Malta. The Covenant must have brought something with them: a bomb,"**_ **said Glynda.**

" _ **Then they sure as hell brought one here. Chief, find it,"**_ **said Ironwood.**

"Simple, but effective," commented Ilia, "If the goal is to get to the planet, it is quicker to destroy the defenses, as opposed to conquering them."

"Like a sapper," said Ren.

"Yes," said Ilia.

"Sounds like you have experience," said Winter coldly.

Ilia glared at the elder Schnee.

 **Jaune went down to the MAC storage beneath the hangar, where all the MAC's shells were kept, and navigated the maintenance corridors before he found himself beneath the armory from earlier with the sounds of plasma shots.**

" **Get the hell out of my armory, you split-faced sons of – ah!" cried out Guns.**

"Oh no!" gasped Ruby.

Even though he was only seen briefly earlier, Ruby thought the man seemed nice.

 **Upon hearing Guns' death, Jaune ran up the service stairs, and stormed the armory. The elites were surprised by the action, and though they tried to fight back, Jaune took them out quickly at the cost of all his SMG's ammo. He went to the body of the man who helped him with his armor not too long ago. He shook his head sadly, closed the man's eyes, and took his tag. He eyed a shotgun not far from the body, and picked it up after dropping his SMGs.**

 **Jaune went through the halls of the station, and killed enemy boarders as he came upon them.**

" **Glynda, can you find the bomb?" Jaune asked through the comms.**

" _ **Working on it now,"**_ **she replied,** _ **"If you want some advice, look for a lot of elites. They wouldn't leave grunts alone to guard such a precious cargo."**_

" **A lot of elites… today just keeps on getting better," said Jaune dryly.**

" _ **Just keeping you entertained,**_ **" replied Glynda in a sly tone.**

"It's strange hearing Miss Goodwitch so…" began Velvet.

"Fun?" supplied Coco.

"Cheerful?" added Nora.

"Girls!" yelped Glynda.

"Um… I was going to say… never mind," said Velvet.

 **After exiting a hall and going through another room, Jaune saw Winter and Branwen fighting off some of the boarders in the way of the boarding dock of Winter's ship.**

" **Come on, Chief, this way!" yelled Branwen as soon as he saw him.**

 **Jaune rushed in, and Winter looked at him.**

" **I was almost on board when they showed up," she said before taking aim with a battle rifle, and killing two grunts.**

" **Don't worry Ma'am, we're on it," said Branwen.**

 **Jaune and Branwen moved in and made quick work of the elite. After that the grunts began to panic and scatter, and the duo took care the stragglers.**

" **Thanks Chief, I owe you one," said Winter gratefully, before she ushered her men to get to the ship.**

 **Jaune nodded to her when his HUD tracked movement further down.**

" **Go ahead," said Jaune, "I'll meet up with you all later."**

 **Branwen and Winter nodded and went to board the ship, while Jaune tracked the movement to outside an air lock at the end of a nearby hallway.**

' **Good thing the suit and armor are good for space,' he thought as he opened up the air lock.**

 **As soon as he did, he was greeted by the sight of two elites with jet packs, and space suits just outside the door. Jaune used his shotgun to deliver two shots that killed one elite. The second launched off with the jet pack and Jaune switched to his battle rifle, but didn't aim at the enemy directly. Because of the low gravity, he had to lead his shots to compensate for new conditions. The enemy's jet pack made it a difficult target, and the elite also had the high ground. Its dual plasma rifles did damage to his shields, and he had to take cover. Jaune went underneath an elevated hallway, to force the elite to lower its altitude, and sure enough it did. Jaune delivered two bursts to break the shield, and once the elite realized its mistake and try to get away, a headshot delivered by Jaune prevented its escape.**

"Clever use of terrain," said Winter, "Say Glynda? What manner of combatant is Mr. Arc in your class?"

"In individual combat… below average, but he is showing signs of improvement. It is in group tactics he excels. No leaders or teams among the freshman class, save for Ms. Rose's is capable of beating Team JNPR," answered the headmistress.

"Probably because Nikos can carry the whole team if she wanted to," commented Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow, don't be mean!" scolded Ruby.

Pyrrha, and Yang also glared for good measure, and Qrow held up his hands in surrender, though he didn't apologize for the comment.

" _ **Sir, boarders have breached the Fire Control Center. They have a bomb,"**_ **said Glynda.**

" _ **Can you diffuse it?"**_ **asked Ironwood.**

" _ **Yes, but I'll need the Chief's help to make direct contact with the detonator,"**_ **said Glynda.**

" _ **Chief, get to the bomb double-time. Glynda, prioritize targets, and fire at will,"**_ **ordered Ironwood.**

 **Suddenly, his HUD's tracker pinged, likely Glynda's doing through the station's systems, and he moved to an airlock in the general direction.**

 **Jaune entered the air lock, and waited for the room to decompress, when the doors opened, he saw marines in a loading bay shooting about to land hits on a swarm of Drones. They were flying insectoids armed with plasma pistols, and Jaune pulled out his battle rifle to aid his comrades. When the last one got shot down, he hear a steady hum, and realized that the large service elevator had been commandeered. He saw several elites, with jackals and grunts.**

 **The jackals, like the grunts and drones were armed with plasma pistols, but had an energy shield for protection.**

"That one won't be so easy to beat," said Winter.

"Take out the shield, and it's wide open," said Ilia.

"Maybe, but that's a lot of enemies," said Blake.

 **Jackals were tough, but they also acted like grunts without an elite commander to coordinate. Jaune scooped up a plasma pistol from a downed drone, strapped it to the back of his belt, and leapt down while the elevator was halfway up. With his Spartan training, and years of experience on solo missions, he single-handedly cleared the platform of grunts with his rifle. With their standard troops dispatched, he focused on the elites that closed in on him. He used his shotgun to breach their shield, pumped the weapon, shot again to rip through armor and their flesh. A second elite tried to hammer Jaune's head with his plasma rifle, but Jaune deflected the blow, and using the butt of his shotgun, struck the elite from behind. The shield flickered and broke, and he pumped the shotgun…**

 **Bang!**

 **The Jackals started to waver, but took some shots at him. He took cover, dropped his empty shotgun, got the plasma pistol from earlier, and held it for a charge. He then got out, and released the trigger as soon as it lined up with a jackal. The charged shot struck the Jackal's shield, and fried the creature's only defense. Jaune fired twice, and the jackal was dead.**

"So that's how you take the shield out," said Ruby.

"Jaune is amazing," said Pyrrha, "We saw in the previous viewing that Jaune was a veteran warrior. Now I suppose we're seeing him during an actual conflict."

"Jaune's a total badass!" declared Nora.

"Well, duh," said Yang, "He's super soldier here."

"He _is_ akin to some Specialists I know," said Winter.

 **He followed his charge-release-kill strategy on the remaining Jackals before he pushed the button to make the elevator go down. When Jaune got to the bottom floor he noticed a dead marine with downed grunts and a battle rifle, and approached. He collected the ammo from his fallen comrade, as well as his tags, and changed out his used plasma pistol for a new one with a decent charge.**

 **As he approached the airlock. The door closed behind him, and sealed tight before the door in front opening. He saw the MAC fire off a shot, and the floor shook as a platform rose up, before it hammered down to fire another round. He heard the MAC's powerful magnets propel the shot as vents opened along the barrel for the discharge to escape and allow the cold vacuum of space to cool the gun.**

"Magnetic propulsion along with the discharge of the cannon's shell…?" Ruby all but panted, "Crescent Rose needs… Ruby wants…!"

"Ruby…?" asked Weiss, worried for her partner.

Qrow, Yang, and Blake were equally worried. They knew Ruby loved weapons, but her reaction was ridiculous.

 **Jaune took a few steps when he spotted three elites with space suits holding a position outside Fire Control. Two with jetpacks approached, and a third was holding tight by a mounted turret. As Jaune took cover from the approaching enemy fire, his helmet's comm channel opened up.**

" _ **The carriers are breaking through, sir. They're heading straight for the Cairo,"**_ **said Admiral Harper over the comms.**

" _ **Glynda, concentrate your fire on the first carrier. Admiral, do what you can against the second,"**_ **said Ironwood.**

" _ **Everyone, form up, follow my lead,"**_ **said Harper.**

 **Jaune heard the elites approach near him, and he squeezed the trigger of the plasma pistol to charge the shot. He left his cover and aimed the pistol before he released the trigger. The charge round was drawn to the elite's shield, and discharged the barrier of his enemy and fired three times to take out the elite. He then whipped his body around and repeated the strategy with the other elite when it got close enough. As he did, the elite that mounted the turret shot at Jaune, and the heavy plasma rounds broke Jaune's shield. Jaune dropped the pistol, and got his rifle as he took cover. With his suit's magnetic boots, Jaune strafed to the side after his shield recharged, and took shots at the enemy's head until it was killed. The way cleared, Jaune made his way to the doors to Fire Control.**

" **The first carrier completely ignored us, sir," said Glynda as Jaune hopped onto the rising platform that hammered the MAC's firing mechanism, and approached the Fire Control Center,** _ **"Flew right through the Malta's debris field and headed straight for Earth."**_

 **Jaune opened the door, and set foot in the decompression chamber. The air lock sealed and air entered the room.**

" _ **Just so you know, they're quite a few elites, guarding the bomb. You may need to get creative,"**_ **said Glynda to Jaune over comms.**

 **Jaune crouched as soon as the doors open. He saw a dead marine by the door, as well as a dead grunt. What caught his interest though was the weapon on the Grunt's corpse: a needler. It looked like a chip clip with needle-like protrusions. He opened the top half of the weapons upper chamber, and saw two more sets of needles for reload.**

"That… kind of looks like dust," said Ilia.

"Doubtful," said Weiss, "At least as far as our records of dust type are concerned."

 **Jaune noticed an elite approach the door, and slipped into the shadows. He saw a plasma grenade near the corpse of another grunt and held it tight, before he crept up to the elite and knocked him out with the butt of his rifle. He didn't bother to let the body fall silently, and the elite fell hard on the ground. He slipped back into the darkness, as reinforcements arrived to investigate. The grunts got there first, and the elites fell in behind forming a nice little cluster. Jaune primed the grenade, and tossed it at the helmet of an elite. The grenade stuck to the target, and the elite screamed in surprise before a plasma explosion went off.**

"That's one migraine you won't be able to sleep off," laughed Coco.

"It's like a sticky bomb," said Ilia.

"Well, they did mention that Covenant weapons shot off sticky, burning plasma. Maybe the grenades also stick," pointed out Glynda.

 **As the explosion cleared, Jaune aimed the needler and fired. There were only three elites left, all of their shields disrupted by the blast. Even if they weren't, the needles his gun shot were able to bypass them, and hone in on their targets. The elites were riddled with needles, before the needles glowed.**

 **BOOM**

 **The needles detonated, and the bodies of his enemies blew up.**

"Well, the effects are similar to some kinds of dust, but that doesn't mean it is," commented Weiss.

"Homing dust needles that blow up," commented Ruby, "I have to see if I can recreate some of the weapons I've seen."

"Calm down, Ruby, you'll faint," said Blake.

 **In a nearby holodeck Glynda phased into appearance.**

" **Me. Inside your head. Now!" said Glynda.**

 **The bomb, a spiked and heavy monstrosity began to whine aggressively. Jaune ran to and touched the pedestal, and uploaded Glynda into his suit's systems. He then touched the bomb, and Glynda disarmed it.**

" **How much time was left?" he asked.**

" **You don't want to know," said Glynda.**

"Close save," said Sun.

"Yes… it wouldn't matter how well they defended the station if that bomb went off," said Ironwood.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, happy all the defenders were going to make it.

" _ **Cairo, this is In Amber Clad…"**_ **began Winter on the comms channel, "** _ **The carrier's shield is down. I'm in position, and ready for immediate assault."**_

" _ **Negative, commander,"**_ **said Ironwood,** _ **"Not against a ship that size. Not on your own."**_

 **Jaune looked at the massive object near him.**

" **Sir? Permission to leave the station," said Jaune.**

" _ **For what purpose Master Chief?"**_

" **To give the Covenant back their bomb," he answered.**

"… _ **Permission granted,"**_ **said Ironwood.**

"Payback time," said Nora manically.

Everyone save Ozpin, Ren, the Schnee sisters, and Glynda had pleased expressions on their faces. That however, didn't mean they disapproved.

 **Jaune dragged the bomb into the elevator, and went down to the lower levels of the defense platform.**

" **I know what you're thinking, and it's crazy," said Glynda from within his system.**

" **So, stay here," said Jaune.**

" **Unfortunately for us both, I like crazy," said Glynda.**

"Do you?" asked Coco, "You don't seem the type."

"There was a time when I… I was young too you know, Ms. Adel," said Glynda with a sigh, "Look at yourself ten years from now, and assess how similar or different you've become."

 **Jaune set the bomb in an open area near a pillar with the console to open the air lock. He took a look outside, and took in the sight. With the exception of the enemy carriers, Covenant ships matched their UNSC counterparts in size. However, it was the equipment that made the difference. Covenant ships had heavy plasma cannons, and energy shields. It took careful maneuvers and multiple shots for a UNSC vessel to take out a Covenant ship effectively, and stay intact. A Covenant vessel would need only one shot.**

"Do you think that's why came with so few ships?" said Ruby.

"Even so, it's quite arrogant for them to think we'd just succumb to so meager a force," huffed Weiss.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree," said Ilia.

Weiss, Winter, and Ironwood all cocked their eyebrows, and Ilia looked away.

 **Even with that strategy however, the defense array had a large hole punched through it, and humanity's ships were barely hanging on. While humanity could hold on through the ground game, it was the naval superiority of the Covenant that tipped the balance in favor of the enemy. The Covenant's combined space and ground assaults would annihilate whole planets, and the defenders. Now, after almost thirty years of war with the Covenant, humanity and its forces, were killed off and dwindled to their last, and first, planet.**

 **They were fighting for their home world, for their right to exist, and losing. Memories of Reach, his home for most of his military and adult life, came to mind. He didn't know if he ever went to Earth before the Spartan-II program, but this was his home now and the Covenant was not going to take that too.**

"The final stand," said Ozpin.

The stakes were finally beginning to settle in for the students, and they could not help but lament the situation humanity faced, even Ilia, whose thoughts went to the Invasion of Menagerie during the Faunus Rights Revolution.

 **Jaune saw his target, the other carrier Commander Schnee mentioned, approach from below. He went back to the pillar with the console, put his hand on the lever to the airlock, and began to count in his head.**

" **Just one question. What if you miss?" asked Glynda.**

" **I won't," said Jaune.**

 **Jaune pulled the lever, and the red alert light went off. Soon the doors opened, and the vacuum of space began to suck out the air and Jaune felt gravity drop to zero. The bomb moved slowly at first, then steadily until it was pulled in earnest by the vacuum. Jaune lunged from the pillar, and grabbed the bomb by the spikes and flew out with it.**

"That's…" began Pyrrha breathlessly.

"Frightening… and amazing," finished Velvet as she saw the minute speck that was Jaune and the bomb fly out into the battle.

"That's badass!" whooped Sun.

"It's certainly daring," commented Ren.

Ruby, and her team were also pumped seeing such a risky and dangerous maneuver. Nora all but cheered, and Ironwood and Witner were impressed by Jaune's bold plan.

 **Jaune focused on the carrier in question, and guided the bomb with his arms. It was pretty easy to ensure the bomb got to where he needed to go. The gravitational pull of the planet was like a flowing river, and in zero gravity with his Mjolnir armor, Jaune could easily lift the bomb up or down or side to side to change its direction since it was relatively light. All he had to do was avoid obstructions.**

 **He saw a UNSC ship fly in front of him before being destroyed by the carrier's cannon. The plasma cannon's beam overwhelmed the vessel in destructive light, and the ship was now exploding from the direct hit. Jaune, with new motivation, focused on directing his payload to the unsuspecting carrier. He saw two longsword fighters swoop down, and deliver a surgical strike to the carrier's outer shell. Ironwood must have redirected some sorties, since it gave him an opening to the carrier's core.**

 **Jaune guided the bomb down the ruptured hull of the enemy ship, and found himself in the carrier's reactor. He also noticed some holes were punched into the carrier's hull from MAC rounds from other ships, and decided he found his exit.**

" **Glynda, link In Amber Clad to my transponder. We're going to need a pick up after this," said Jaune.**

" **Already on it," said the A.I.**

 **Jaune pulled himself to float over the spikes in front of him, and pushed the button on the interface. Immediately, the bomb began to countdown. As each whine of the machine got louder, and louder, Jaune just planted his feet on the bomb, and pushed himself away to an opening he saw leading the outside of the ship. As Jaune exited through the carrier's damaged hull, the bomb's count down got louder and louder until…**

 **Boo-boo-BOOM**

 **Explosions erupted from within the carrier, until finally the biggest threat to the fleet and the defense grid was torn apart by a storm of fire, and debris from the inside out. Jaune saw the UNSC In Amber Clad had moved itself underneath his position, and Jaune somersaulted to land on this feet, with his magnetic boots active.**

 **Inside the ship, Qrow in combat armor and Commander Winter in her officer's uniform saw Jaune's transponder approach, and it came in contact with the ships on radar, there was a loud thud that could be heard throughout the bridge.**

" **For a brick, he flew pretty well," said Qrow.**

" **Get inside, Chief," said Winter, "We're taking this fight to the surface."**

…

The light went up slightly…

"That was awesome!" said Sun.

"It's not over yet. There's more to see," said Archie.

"There is?" asked Nora.

"Yes," he answered, "This is what archivists like myself refer to as a Woven Volume. A volume where a confrontation, or alliance, between two souls has such a profound impact, that it deserves the attention of multiple Archive hubs to work together in its categorization."

Realization dawned upon them.

"We're going to see more of Ren!" declared Ruby, "Well, alien Ren, I mean."

The light's dimmed again, and Ren was intrigued.

"Yes, now please, let's continue," said Archie

" _ **The message just repeats: Regret. Regret. Regret,"**_ **said Glynda…**

 **A/N: And the first half is done.**

 _ ***This is the second version of the chapter. The first was written when I got a new game, and I was so distracted that I published a lackluster chapter. A reviewer pointed this out to me, and I wound up going back to this chapter after how dissatisfying I found my work. Hopefully, going back and redoing work does not become a common thing, and I will work to provide quality chapters the first time.**_

 **For those who are wondering, the Stranger did die in the last chapter. I made the decision to do that because I want Yang to be worry free in regards to that future.** _ **If**_ **I do revisit God of war, it will probably be as an omake with the best bonding moments between Kratos and Atreas, RWBY style.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The opening is from the** _ **Halo 2: Anniversary Edition**_

 **I debated whether or not to include the Arbiter in this chapter, but after a lot of thought, I realized just how important he was to the storyline of the trilogy, I felt I had to include him. It will also help with the development I have planned for Winter and Ilia in this story.**

 **I chose to cast Ren as the Arbiter for two reasons. One, Ren is often portrayed as the stoic loner warrior, and the Arbiter gives off a similar persona. Second, Monty Oum, Ruby's creator and Ren's first voice actor, worked on** _ **Red vs Blue**_ **, another Rooster Teeth production that is a fun little show based off the character models of Halo. I thought it would be a nice little tribute to the man.**

 **See you all next week.**

 **Chapter Preview: One-One-Seven Pt. 2 (06/20/2018 – 06/23/2018)**


	9. Halo 2: 117 Pt II

**Okay… so the game I got was** _ **Jurassic World Evolution**_ **. There was an early release for the digital copy to coincide with the movie, and for the past few weeks, I was reliving my childhood making the best Jurassic Park I could make. It's a lot of fun if you like park simulator games and dinosaurs.**

 **However, the distraction it caused me affected my writing. I'm glad many of you liked what I churned out, but one of my reviewers for the last chapter pointed this out. After I reread it, I was disappointed in myself for having posted such a bare chapter in terms of the reactions from the cast. For this reason I revamped Chapter 8, and if you read the last portion of the** _ **Halo**_ **chapter before today, 06/29/18, I would suggest you read it again. It's longer, more refined, and in my opinion, better than before. I want to sincerely thank that reviewer for their critique, which is in the Reviewer Response at the end.**

 **Anyway, enough distractions. I hope you enjoy both** _ **Halo**_ **of the chapters of the Archive.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Halo**_ **is the work of Bungie Studios and Microsoft.**

Chapter 9 – One-One-Seven Part 2

" _ **The message just repeats: Regret. Regret. Regret,"**_ **said Glynda in the comms.**

" _ **Catchy,"**_ **commented Winter dryly from her ship, "** _ **Any idea what it means?"**_

" **Dear humanity, we** _ **regret**_ **being alien bastards, we** _ **regret**_ **coming to Earth, and we most definitely** _ **regret**_ **the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!" offered Qrow.**

" **Hoo-ah!" said the pilots near him.**

"Hahaha," laughed Qrow, "I like these guys."

"They're certainly enthusiastic," said Ironwood.

"Better than those lifeless toy soldiers you mass produce," said Qrow, "Give me people willing to fight tooth and nail for family, and loved ones than some machine that blindly follows orders."

Ironwood frowned, but didn't disagree with Qrow's statement.

" _ **Regret is a name, Sergeant,"**_ **corrected Glynda,** _ **"The name of one of the Covenant's religious leaders, a Prophet. He's on that carrier, and he's calling for help."**_

"That was one of the people that led the inquest against my counterpart," said Ren.

"He must have been transmitting while on his way to the planet," said Ozpin, as he remembered.

 **Three Warthogs assault vehicles drove underneath their Pelicans, to escort the dropships and clear a landing zone for their teams in whatever destination they were going to.**

" _ **Immediate! Grid kilo two-three is hot. Recommend mission abort,"**_ **stated a voice over the comms.**

" **Roger, recon. It's your call Sarge," said one of the pilots.**

 **Qrow snorted**

" **We're going in," said Branwen after a moment's thought, "Get tactical, marines!"**

 **The enemy of humanity just busted the door in, there would be no going back.**

"Quite right," said Glynda, "In a situation where it's do or die, one should always do whatever it takes to win."

 **The troops in the pelicans heard the call, and began to gear up.**

" _ **Master Chief, get aboard that carrier,"**_ **said Ironwood,** _ **"Secure the Prophet of Regret. This is the only place on Earth the Covenant decided to land. That prophet is going to tell us why."**_

" **Stand by for-" began one of the pilots, but was cut off by what he saw ahead.**

 **From some of the apartments, and explosion of debris erupted several hundred meters. The dust began to fall and blow away when a large machine revealed itself. It had four legs, a large dish array on its front, and a cannon on its front end.**

" **Whoa…" finished the pilot.**

 **The machine was a Scarab. Originally an excavation vehicle, it was one of the Covenants most lethal war machines.**

"Those Paladins you stopped had similar origins as well, Weiss," said Winter.

"Really?" asked Weiss.

"Yes. They were meant to help SDC miners clear out rubble and dig new tunnels while protecting them from dust exposure, and other dangers within the environment," said Winter.

"Are they going to be used by the SDC?" asked Blake.

"They were, until the Atlas military decided they were better put to war," said Ilia.

"The SDC leased them to the military," corrected Winter, "However, the White Fang stole them before the final tests could be completed, and now people are wondering if the faunus can be trusted with such a machine."

"People? Or you?" countered Ilia.

"Both," said Winter simply.

 **The dish array immediately opened, and energy pooled within. The pilot that controlled the Pelican where Branwen and Jaune were took evasive maneuvers when the array launched the energy beam. One of the dropships got hit and erupted into flames immediately before it crashed. The Scarab's cannon then opened up, and managed to hit the remaining two dropships. One was barreling to the river bank, while Jaune's crashed near one of the city's plazas.**

"Poor guys," said Coco.

"Yes," said Ironwood, "It's one thing to die fighting, but to die before you even got the chance to? It's a death with a lingering regret."

"… _ **hey…**_ **Wake up!" said Glynda who messed with his HUD's comms to make a tapping noise.**

 **It took a moment, but Jaune came to from the crash and saw the other marines in his pelican file out.**

" **They'll regret that too," said Jaune as he remembered Branwen's interpretation of the message.**

" **Shake it off marines!" said Branwen as he ushered them out, "Clear the crash site. Go, go, go!"**

"Well, at least we know some of them made it," said Ruby.

"Yes, and for each lost comrade, they will fight that much harder," said Winter.

 **Jaune joined them, and almost immediately upon leaving the crash, they were greeted by grunts. Jaune, Branwen, and the marines gunned them down immediately before the entered into a plaza. There was a building guarded by more grunts, and their elite commanders as well as some jackals. Jaune took point, using an SMG to break the shields of the elites, and Branwen and the marines, used their battle rifles to finish off the commanders. The rest was cleanup as far as they were all concerned, and Branwen and the marines took control of the building to use it as a temporary forward operating base, or FOB.**

 **They heard firefights throughout the city, as one of the marines attempted to establish communications. As attempts were made, more Covenant came to the plaza, likely to investigate the downed Pelican, or to wonder why the outpost they cleared had fallen out of contact. They came in waves, the worst was when a Covenant dropship, a Phantom, swung by to offload reinforcements. They had to take cover from the ship's anti-personnel guns while they dropped their troops. However, as always the ship bugged out as soon as they were deployed with the belief that their elites would deal with whatever threat came their way.**

"That was stupid. The dropship should have stayed behind to lay suppressing fire while the ground forces cleared out the building of resistance," said Coco.

"Like a pincer…? Yeah, that could have done them in," said Sun.

"It's arrogance," said Winter, "These Covenant forces believe themselves so superior they will throw perfectly capable soldiers away."

 **Jaune and marines had the high ground of a defensive position with a heavy turret set in place to gun down most of the attackers while the marines picked off stragglers. After another wave, a Pelican swung by; communications were likely established during all the fighting.**

" _ **My girl's a little big for that courtyard, Sergeant,"**_ **said the pilot,** _ **"I see a good LZ on the other side of these buildings. Meet you there, over."**_

" **Copy that," said Branwen, before he pointed to some steel doors in the courtyard that the Pelican flew over, "Someone get a satchel on that gate!"**

 **Jaune was about to join them when he heard and saw the gate being rammed from the other side. Jaune got on the heavy turret, and aimed, and it was a good thing as well. Two Hunters, a mass of alien worms coiled together to make a unified body that was heavily armored, with a heavy shield on one arm, and a plasma cannon on the other, burst through the doors. Hunters typically fought in pairs, mates, which backed one another up in battle, and were typically used as siege beasts for the Covenant.**

"Those are worms?" gagged Yang.

Everyone cringed at the thought, especially when the saw the orange gaps in the blue armor. The worms were coiling over one another to simulate muscle movement, and it was a very unsettling sight.

"Gross!" said Nora.

 **Jaune opened the turret up, and focused fire on one of them. Branwen and the marines focused on the second to distract it from helping its mate. Jaune took down the first hunter, and the marines pulled back from the second. The other hunter exhibited traditional behavior observed by survivors of Covenant assaults as it flew into a rage over the loss of its mate, and the marines took cover.**

"I know they're humanity's enemies, and made of worms, but you have to admit that that's kind of touching," said Blake.

"It is," acknowledged Coco, "They're still gross though."

"I never said they weren't," said Blake.

 **Jaune leapt off the building, and the hunter caught the movement and aimed its wrist cannon at him. A beam of concentrated plasma energy shot at Jaune, who side stepped the attack and went to a nearby concrete pillar. The hunter shot again, and Jaune dodged but didn't attack. The creature evidently got frustrated, and Jaune put his back to the pillar. The hunter charged blindly and reared back its shielded arm to deliver a powerful haymaker. Jaune for his part, just pulled out a frag grenade from his belt. The hunter's fist drove into the pillar, and as expected, got its shield caught in the steel supports within the concrete. Jaune removed the pin of the grenade, and punched it into the mass of worms beneath the armor through an opening in the plates. Jaune took cover before the grenade went off and the plaza was covered in a mass of worm pieces and orange splatter.**

"Ew! Gross," yelped Ruby.

"Bleh!" said Weiss.

"Oh God, that one is still wriggling around," gagged Velvet, who pointed at one of the worms on screen.

" **Showoff," said Branwen before he and Jaune went through the steel doors to the other side of the buildings.**

 **As the moved Glynda found a ping from the other Pelican that went down during the encounter with the Scarab.**

" _ **Second squad, this is Glynda. What is your status, over?"**_ **asked Glynda through comms.**

" _ **We're operational ma'am, barely. Our pilots didn't make it,"**_ **replied someone from second squad.**

" _ **Find a hole, stay put. We'll come to you,"**_ **said Glynda.**

"All right, those marines from the other dropship made it!" said Yang happily.

"Not all," corrected Winter, "But, it is indeed good news, one that will put Arc and his men at ease."

 **Jaune and Branwen led their marines through the alley, but a beam of light cut through the air, and everyone took cover.**

" **Sniper," said a marine.**

" **Leave him to me," said Branwen, who saw the corpse of a marine in the alley.**

 **The casualty was a sniper himself, but had lost his duel with their current enemy. His rifle was still in his hands, and a hole in his head with the inside of his skull cooked, and the entry and exit points cauterized.**

"Ugh… that's…" gagged Blake.

"That's war," said Ironwood, "That soldier must have been trying to get to a vantage point to help other marines, or hunting down the sniper Arc and his team are facing."

"And he got gunned down," whispered Velvet sadly.

One second, the man was moving, helping or fighting. The next… dead.

 **Qrow rolled over to the body, avoiding a shot from the enemy's beam rifle. Qrow saw the dissipating beam fade, and stood out in the open, tracking the direction it came from.**

 **BANG!**

 **The fifty caliber round spun toward a jackal's head as it tried to reposition, and it dropped on the spot. Branwen caught two more enemies, grunts, in his sights and killed them all in the span of two seconds. After a moment, the Pelican arrived, and a new voice cut through the comms.**

" _ **Sergeant, I need you on that bird,"**_ **said Winter.**

" **Ma'am?" questioned Qrow.**

" _ **My Pelicans are going to start airlifting armor and reinforcements into the city. They'll need an escort who isn't afraid of a little hostile ground fire,"**_ **said Winter.**

" **Roger, ma'am," said Branwen, "Marines, stay with the Chief, I'll be back with reinforcements."**

" **Yes, sir!" said one of them.**

 **Branwen gave Jaune a casual salute, and boarded the pelican before it flew up and away. Jaune looked to the marines, and gestured for them to follow. As they moved through the alleys, and fought in skirmishes with the Covenant forces, they saw more of what the Covenant had done throughout the city. Like all their other worlds, the Covenant was stamping out humanity wherever they could find them.**

 **However, this was home, Humanity's home. The alley fights, and sniper duels that occurred, the horrors they had experienced before on other worlds didn't seem to have the same weight in comparison to this.**

 **They came across civilian bodies in addition to dead marines and police officers.**

Blake, Yang, and Coco shook with anger, while Nora and Pyrrha gasped at the sights they saw.

"Did my counterpart lead such operations?" asked Ren in shock.

"No… I…" began Nora fearful of what to say, "I don't know… I'm sorry…"

"…" Ren knew Nora was trying to reassure him, but it was difficult when they saw what the Covenant did.

 **They passed a wall where a mass of civilian dead and the wall behind them smoked from plasma scarring. It had been a mass execution.**

Ruby and Velvet started to cry at that sight, while the Schnee sisters found fury burning in their hearts.

 **There was a crashed ambulance on fire with several bodies in the back burning, and skid marks left by the tires.**

Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin were horrified. Even Remnant's most horrific wars had targets that were deemed as taboo.

 **What really set off the marines though was the sight of several jackals feasting on the dead.**

Some of the students almost threw up at the gruesome sight.

"Fuck…" gasped Ilia.

 **They opened fire, and even as they went down, one marine continued to fire while Jaune and his comrades stopped.**

" **You hungry you fucker! Eat some fucking lead, you fucking piece of shit!" cried out the marine.**

 **Jaune moved to pull back the lone marine who had taken to stomping the corpse of the enemy when he ran out of bullets.**

One thought set into the minds of the students as the carnage they witnessed settled in their minds.

War was horrible.

While the feats Jaune performed were truly extraordinary, the grim reality of war was now showing itself to the students and Ilia. The terror on a local population made them sick, the way the dead could be treated made them angry, and fury of that lone soldier illustrated what war could turn people into made them fearful. The elders looked sadly at the children watched in quiet sobriety.

"Winter… is this what some of your missions are like?" asked Weiss.

"…Some, yes, but not all," confirmed Winter.

"Oh," said Weiss.

"Weiss…" whispered Winter sadly.

"James… I believe I know the answer, but could we resist something like this?" asked Ozpin.

"No," said James, enraged with a barely contained expression on his face, "Between the Grimm and the bad blood between the kingdoms, we'd likely be overrun in a matter of days if we faced something like this."

"But, we have semblances and aura," said Ruby.

"It does not matter. All the soldiers and huntsmen in all the world wouldn't mean a thing, if they can't unite and work together," said Ironwood.

Everyone gulped.

" **Marine, I need you to stay focused," scolded Jaune harshly.**

" **But sir-!"**

" **I know," said Jaune, "Believe me, I know. I was at Reach when it fell. Every one of these marines was somewhere when their homes and worlds fell apart. I know your story soldier; I've seen it and in some cases, I lived it at every one of our colonies I was stationed at. It's horrifying, and it pisses me off. But I need you to have a steady head about you. If we start losing it now, we lose to the Covenant for sure."**

 **Jaune couldn't do Branwen's pep talks. Instead he relied on his cool head, and status as a Spartan to reassure and command.**

" **I'm sorry, Chief…" said the marine, "It's just… it's actually happening. They're here… at home. How are we going to win?"**

" **We fight. With a calm head, steady aim, and a steep toll for our enemy to pay," said Jaune before handing the marine his battle rifle, "Don't waste the ammo."**

 **The order was clear, and every marine in the group stood taller and more determined.**

"That was good," said Winter, "A good leader diffuses situations like that before they get out of control."

"I honestly agree," said Qrow, "I get that guy's feeling, but a loose cannon like can turn any mission into a living hell."

"Our Jaune might bumble with his words, but just like here, he does know what to say when it needs to be said," said Pyrrha proudly.

"… **Sir, yes sir," said the marine, who calmed down and held the weapon at the ready.**

 **Jaune took out his back up SMG, and led the troops into the city. He and the marines arrived at a hotel the Covenant was attacking when Glynda spoke through the comms.**

" **The transponders of the marines inside… It's our second squad," said Glynda.**

 **Jaune and the marines followed their strategy of taking out the elites first followed by the grunts. They had an added priority of taking out an enemy turret, but the results were predictable nonetheless. When the fighting was done, Jaune went to the hotel lobby, and met with Second Squad.**

" **Chief, glad you could make it," said Second Squad's leader, "Crash site's on the other side of this hotel. Covenant are crawling all over it. Follow me."**

 **Jaune and his troops followed the squad, and cleared out any Covenant forces within the hotel that attacked them. They made an effort to get through the building as quickly as possible, since the loss of power gave great cover to the enemy. Before they could get exit the other side of the building, Jaune saw a dropship swoop in and rain fire down upon them.**

 **He ordered his troops to take cover, until the fire stopped, and he led the marines out. Using his SMG, Jaune took out an elite's shield, but before he could deliver the head shot, his weapon was out of ammo. The elite took advantage of this, and tried to gun him down. However, a sniper round from within the hotel killed the elite who dropped his plasma rifle. Jaune quickly got the fallen enemy's weapon and gunned down grunt after grunt with the marines. Some elites who had taken cover made an attempt to flank them but were shot by a weapon that was music to their ears.**

 **Poom-Poom-Poom-Poom-Poom**

 **The looked in the direction of the shots, and saw a Warthog with a gatling gun drive up to them and gun down every enemy in their path.**

"It really is music," said Coco, "And it makes such a nice accessory to that vehicle."

"It does make it look cooler," commented Ruby.

"It just needs a cool paintjob now, and it will be amazing. Shark teeth on the fenders?" suggested Yang.

"A little tacky… perhaps if it were an outline though," commented Weiss.

Coco hummed in thought.

Ozpin smiled a little as his students started to react more again after they witnessed the horrors of war, and what it did to people. He was worried what viewing this reality would do to them, but Miss Xiao Long was correct in her reprimand to the archivist that had withheld more of the future in the fear of the content adversely affecting them.

"… _we're stronger than you think. Sure we might get weepy and sad during this, but we've also laughed and had a blast with some of this stuff too. Don't worry too much. We have each other to comfort us, and we'll bounce right back given time to think."_

'Give them time, indeed,' thought Ozpin.

 **Once resistance was destroyed, they made their way to the vehicle.**

" **Chief take the wheel," said a marine who left the driver's seat to ride shotgun.**

 **Jaune looked to his men, and Second Squad.**

" **Don't worry about us Chief, with your reinforcements, we can hold this here hotel, and cover your ass. Just take out some of them Covies for me," said Second Squad's leader.**

 **Jaune nodded, and hopped in the driver's seat. He put his foot on the gas and followed the road.**

" **The highest concentration of Covenant troops is directly below the carrier," informed Glynda, "I don't think they want you getting on board."**

 **Jaune snorted as he kept driving until the road.**

"Given what he can do, I wouldn't want Jaune anywhere near me either if I was a Covenant leader," said Blake.

"I know right. After the crap they pulled here, Jaune is really going to fuck them up," said Yang.

"He'll probably break their legs," said Ren.

"Ren… you used my catchphrase?" gasped Nora.

"Just expressing myself," said Ren, "Your words are a perfect reflection of how I'm feeling."

" **That bridge is the most direct route to the city center," she said, and Jaune looked in the distance to a suspension bridge and knew where to drive.**

 **Eventually the road ended at a collapsed bridge that led to the beach. He turned onto the sand, and continued along the way. The marines with him concentrated their fire on stragglers, and any Ghosts, a kind of attack craft with an antigravity lift to hover off the ground and twin plasma cannons. Jaune wasn't just an idle driver though. Any elites the marines couldn't kill, he would be introduced to his vehicle's hood, or tires while hitting seventy miles per hour.**

"Road kill," chuckled Qrow.

"Like the vermin they are," added Winter.

"Ooh, looks like the Ice Queen's here," said Qrow.

"Wouldn't you feel the same if you bore witness to such atrocities?" asked Winter.

"Yeah, I would."

 **Eventually, they came to a tunnel at the river bank.**

" **This tunnel links up to the bridge," said Glynda, and Jaune drove in, "It's full of rats, but it beats swimming."**

 **Jaune drove on, and he and the marines gunned down and ran over any Covenant forces that stood in their way as they drove on. Their priority was still the carrier, and the prophet. So they hit and ran with that goal in mind.**

" **I've been analyzing the Covenant tactical chatter," began Glynda, "They're surprised, confused. I don't think they expected us to be here. Not you and me. Humanity, on Earth.**

" **Seriously?" asked Jaune.**

" **Odd, I know. But it does help explain why they came with such a small fleet," said Glynda.**

"How could they think the human home world would not have a defensive presence on the planet?" asked Ilia, stunned.

"Do you think… humanity is so devastated by the war, they thought the planet would be defenseless?" asked Velvet.

"No… I don't believe so," said Ironwood, "My counterpart mentioned that there were too few ships in this fleet, and that they concentrated all their forces here in this one spot."

"One of their leaders is on that ship," said Ruby, "Shouldn't he have a bigger force anyway?"

It dawned on Ironwood.

"No… not if he was in a hurry," said Ironwood.

"Sir?" asked Winter.

"The small fleet, the presence of one of their key leaders who had to send a transmission of himself for that earlier inquest, the concentration of all their ships in a single point instead of invading key sectors of enemy territory…" listed Ironwood, "As a general, I wouldn't march an army without a clear objective, especially if it was in unknown, and potentially enemy territory. What was so important that they would come to a planet without realizing what it was?"

"It could be a surgical strike," suggested Glynda.

"No… that would require surprise, and that would have ended as soon as they hit the defense array. Something is on the human home world that is important enough for one of their leaders to risk his entire fleet to get to."

That made everyone curious.

 **Eventually, they drove to the end of the tunnel where they were greeted by the sight of cars, and tanks laid waste. In the distance, Jaune saw two marines huddled in the rubble, watching something at the edge of the bridge. Jaune and the marines got out of the warthog, and followed a trail of destruction and saw the back end of the scarab moving along the bridge as they got closer to the two. One of them, a girl, looked to Jaune.**

"Ilia, it's you," said Blake.

"Me?" balked Ilia.

"You're a defender of humanity in this universe. What would your superiors think?" chuckled Winter.

The irony was not lost on the surprised faunus.

" **Private Ilia, sir," said the young woman before she looked at the Scarab, "It blew right through us. 50 Cal, rockets, didn't do a thing."**

 **Just then, a pelican flew overhead carrying a Scorpion tank, and hovered near their location. The magnetic lock on the Pelican's rear disengaged and dropped the tank off, and Branwen left the boarding craft that remained above ground and approached Jaune and the marines.**

" **Where's the rest of your platoon?" Qrow asked the marines.**

" **Wasted Sarge," said Ilia.**

" **And we will be too, sir! If we don't get the hell out of here," said the other marine who went to the Pelican.**

 **Branwen stopped him before he could get to it though, a firm grip, and a stern face to match.**

" **You hit, marine?" asked Branwen.**

" **N-No, sir," said the frightened marine.**

" **Then listen up!" barked Branwen, "They say that God works in mysterious ways. But not today! This right here is 66 tons of straight up, HE-spewing, divine intervention! If God is love, then you can call me Cupid!"**

 **Jaune snorted at the thought of Qrow in a diaper flying around and shooting love arrows at budding young couples.**

"Hahaha!" laughed Yang, Nora, Sun, and Coco, who now had the image in her head.

Ruby, Velvet, even Weiss and even Ren chuckled, while Winter, Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin tried their hardest not to laugh either.

"Hey, if I was given a tank, I'd feel all sorts of love," said Qrow with a smirk.

"I shudder to imagine," commented Ozpin with his amusement still on his face.

" **What about that scarab?" asked Ilia.**

 **Branwen faced her.**

" **We've all run the simulations. They're tough, but they aren't invincible," he said before he pulled out a cigar for a puff, "Stay with the Master Chief. He'll know what to do."**

" **Yes sir, Sergeant!" said Ilia.**

"So… I guess I smoke in this universe," said Qrow.

"Smoking, drinking," muttered Glynda, "I suppose you having bad habits is a commonality in the multiverse."

"Hey, if it keeps the edge off, and helps me get the job done, there shouldn't be any complaints," said Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow…" pouted Ruby.

"Ugh, not you too," groused Qrow.

" _ **Thanks for the tank,"**_ **said Glynda,** _ **"He never gets me anything."**_

 **Branwen prepped his machine gun in the pelican, and smirked.**

" **Oh, I know what the ladies like," he said.**

"Yes I do," laughed Qrow, "I like this version of me. Say Jimmy, does your army have any openings. I think I've got plans for retirement."

"You'd have to be put through Basic, and disciplined first. I could oversee that personally if you're serious," said Winter with a very interested gleam in her eyes.

"I'll buy you dinner first," retorted Qrow.

Winter's face fell at that comment.

 **Jaune rolled his eyes behind his helmet, before he got into the tank. The two marines from the Warthog, and the two from the bridge took shotgun positions on the four sets of treads of the tank before Jaune rolled out in pursuit of the scarab. As they crossed the bridge, they saw ghosts, and several Covenant-made roadblocks. Jaune just flicked two covers off the back of steering wheel to reveal two triggers: one for the cannon, and one for the machine gun.**

 **The cannon shot down the ghosts in one hit, and punched holes through the roadblocks. The heavy machine gun in the turret laid suppressive fire while the marines riding shotgun took their shots. It was steady progress along the bridge as far as he and marines were concerned. Then a blue light erupted from the high ground, on the center of the bridge.**

" **Aw man, I hate those things," said one marine.**

 **It was Covenant armor, a Wraith. Like the ghosts, the Wraith used anti-gravity engines to hover over the ground. However, unlike the Scorpion tank of the UNSC, the Wraith had a plasma mortar as opposed to a cannon. At close range, or in an entrenched position it was every marine's worst nightmare. At this distance though, and on a moving tank, its shots were predictable, and relatively easy to avoid if you paid attention.**

 **Jaune tilted the turret up as he moved, and aimed a little over the Wraith firing at them. He shot a round, and it missed before the Wraith's shot started to arc down. Jaune readjusted, and took another shot and it hit. Another shot, and a blue flame erupted from the enemy armor. The mortar shot from the enemy just landed six meters behind him when he fired a third round at the fire, and the Wraith exploded.**

" **Hostile, three o'clock!" shouted a marine.**

 **Jaune swiveled the turret, and saw a drop ship approach. Jaune and marines opened fire with their guns, though Jaune held the cannon trigger steady until the dropship was in range. As soon as it started to hover, he hit the trigger as the ship's gravity lift opened. The shell went inside the dropship, and it blew up from the inside out.**

 **Just then Jaune felt an impact from behind, and he turned the turret to see a Banshee fighter dive in, cannons blazing. Jaune kept moving, but held the trigger for the machine gun. Using the tracer fire of his machine gun as a guide, he was able to move the gun to an optimal position. Although the Banshee tried to evade the shots, it engines left behind a wisp that even a blind marine could track, and soon the enemy aircraft was out of the sky in a ball of fire.**

"Jaune's a real terror in that tank," gushed Nora.

"All of them are," said Blake, "Jaune, Ilia, the other marines. They have good synergy."

"Go Jaune! You can do it!" cheered Ruby.

 **After the halfway point, the bridge went downhill, and so did the Covenant resistance. Jaune and his marines worked together to take out ghosts, banshees, phantoms, and whatever unfortunate foot soldiers got in their way. Eventually, they made it to the other side, where they were greeted by three Wraiths, but unlike before, they were much closer to the tank. This meant that their mortar shots would be coming in much faster than before. However, the scorpion still had the faster rate of fire, and it had the advantage of marines riding shotgun to support.**

 **Ilia saw a rocket launcher in the arms of a fallen comrade that had died defending the bridge.**

" _ **Sir! We can take them out faster if we flank them!"**_ **she yelled through the comms.**

" **Understood. I'll cover you," said Jaune from inside.**

 **Ilia disembarked to get the weapon, and then to cover. The others followed suit, and went in to support, while Jaune used his own tank to get the attention of the Wraiths. Predictably, the elites were arrogant in their superiority to humans that they considered the marines little better than grunts and continued to focus on the Scorpion.**

"These Covenant are not schooled in the proper use of armor, it seems," said Winter.

"What do you mean, sister?" asked Weiss.

"While intimidating, armored vehicles can be vulnerable in certain situations. Whether it's air cover, or ground troops, armored vehicles, and more importantly the crew within, require support in some form to complete their objectives and come home safely. Again, these Covenant show a weakness in their arrogance," said Winter.

"That, or maybe they're being led by an incompetent commander," said Ozpin.

"There is that, too," said Ironwood.

 **As soon as Ilia got into position, several marines tossed grenades to the undersides of the hovering Wraith tanks. While not all of them went off at the desired location, the ones that did disrupted the Covenant armor. Ilia fired a rocket at the Wraith that got the worst of the grenade volley, and blew the top off the armor before it collapsed into a burning blue bonfire.**

 **The Covenant armors' confusion was apparent, and Jaune focused on a second Wraith. He took it out in short order, and he and the marines made quick work of the third. The marines cheered in victory before they got back on the Scorpion, and Jaune drove down into another tunnel to follow the scarab.**

"That was great teamwork!" said Ruby.

"I know," said Coco, "I just came up with a new strategy, and Yatsuhashi would be perfect for it."

"You're going to make Yatsuhashi tank while we take out Grimm aren't you," said Velvet.

"Ooh, you think Jaune would go for that kind of a plan Ren?" asked Nora.

"Depends if he's the only one doing it. If Pyrrha helped, I'm sure it would be fine," answered Ren.

"Of course. We saw our gender-swapped counterparts tank well together in that other viewing," said Pyrrha.

"Gender-swapped?" asked Winter.

"Oh, there was a universe where I, my team, and team JNPR had their genders swapped. It was a… interesting look at what could have been," elaborated Weiss.

"I see…" said Winter, a little intrigued.

Ilia was also intrigued, and wondered what Blake looked like as a man.

 **As they drove along, it became apparent that the Covenant were desperate to halt the advance. The roadblocks they encountered were mostly made of supply crates, and could be run over. However one was a land transport, and it was too large for their tank to bypass. They all disembarked and went on foot. Jaune took point with a shotgun from the Scorpion's driver holster, and led them through the tunnel.**

 **Grunts, at the orders of the elites were mindlessly throwing themselves in their way. The marines focused on the grunts, but Jaune knew the elites were using their underlings to act as bullet sponges.**

" **Cover me," said Jaune.**

" **Yes sir," said Ilia.**

 **Jaune slipped to the side, and he focused on the elites. He swiped a plasma pistol off a dead Grunt, and charged the shot. He peered out of the corner, and took aim at an elite. The alien turned to him, and his humming, charged shot and Jaune released the trigger. The shot tracked the elite, drawn to the energy shield, and struck true. The blast disable the shield, and before the alien could cry in fury, a burst from a battle rifle killed him via headshot. The other elite in the group roared in outrage, and took out a plasma rifle. However, the marines, who took out all the grunts closed in and opened fire on the last enemy combatant. The distraction gave Jaune enough time to charge another shot, and when he released it, it discharged the elites shield before the alien became a fountain of purple blood.**

 **The marines cheered in victory before the followed him further on into the dark road. There was a dead end to the tunnel, but Jaune found a maintenance shaft that was opened and led to the outside. There they saw a stray Warthog that tried to avoid some Ghosts. Unlike their last warthaog though, this one was armed with a grenade launcher turret instead of a mini gun. Jaune directed the marines to take out the Covenent snipers in the area, before he ran to the warthog. The driver noticed him, and slowed to a stop.**

" **I could use you on the gun, Chief," said the driver in a hurried manner.**

 **Jaune go on board, and mounted the launcher. He aimed it at the approaching ghosts, and lobbed a series of shots ant the enemy vehicle. It blew up after two hits, and the explosion propelled it into the air in a spin that threw the driver into a concrete wall. The driver hit the gas, and toured the area as Jaune lobbed more grenade shots into cluster of Covenant forces scattered throughout the area to help the marines who followed him. When the area was cleared, the driver approached the marines at Jaune's request, and he looked to those who followed him.**

" **Don't worry about us, sir. We'll catch up to you sooner or later," said Ilia.**

" **If it helps, I'll let a pelican know that we've got marines here. We have a radio at our outpost," said the driver.**

 **Jaune nodded, and turned to Ilia.**

" **Stay alive, marines. That's an order," said Jaune.**

 **They all saluted.**

" **Sir, yes sir!"**

" **Take out that bastard in the carrier for us, sir!" said Ilia.**

 **Jaune nodded, and the driver punched the gas.**

"I hope they make it through. They fought well," said Blake.

"Me too," said Ilia.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, especially her," said Winter.

Ilia turned to Winter in surprise, and Winter returned the look with a frown.

"I was referring to that marine. Not you," she said in a cold tone.

"Oh… Well, good. I was worried about being complimented by a Schnee," said Ilia.

She wasn't sure she could take a compliment from an Atlas Specialist, and Ilia felt that the Schnee would probably feel the same if the reverse happened.

'As if,' Ilia thought.

 **They drove through the area until they hit the main road of the city. There, Jaune put the cannon to use, lobbing shots at Ghosts and Wraiths they passed by. When they approached the outpost, they saw it swarming with Covenant forces and Wraiths.**

" **There are a number of marines trapped inside that building, chief" commented Glynda as they approached, "Concentrate on the Wraiths, they're the biggest threat.**

" **Hang on, Chief," said the driver.**

 **Jaune turned on his magnetic boots as the driver began to employ the warthog's superior speed, and mobility to the extreme. His HUD tracked the wraith's movements along with their own vehicle, and he took his shots at the enemy. Eventually, through his driver's expert use of the Warthog's speed and steering, and Jaune's use of the cannon, the two whittled down the enemy armored forces. There were some close calls in the form of Covenant plasma grenades, and some near lucky shots from the Wraiths. In the end though, they were triumphant. The warthog pulled up to the entrance, and Jaune and the driver got off, and were greeted by one of the soldiers within the building.**

" **Sir, Corporal Perez, A Company," introduced the soldier before gesturing behind him, "CP's this way. The Lieutenant got hit as soon as we got in."**

 **Perez led Jaune into the building, where he got a fully loaded battle rifle, and pair of smgs.**

" _ **Who's in charge now, Corporal?"**_ **asked Glynda.**

" **Sergeant Banks ma'am, he's up top," replied Perez as they went up the stairs past some injured marines, "Come on, I'll show you."**

 **Perez led them to the balcony of the building where they were greeted by a haggard, but angry marine that stared at the approaching Scarab. The anger gave way at the sight of Jaune though.**

" **When I asked for reinforcements, I didn't think they'd send a Spartan," said Banks with a hint of hope in his voice.**

"These Spartans are like heroes to these marines," said Pyrrha.

"They really are like huntsman. Defenders of humanity against the forces of darkness," swooned Ruby.

"I am glad Jaune is one. It proves he can be capable of truly great things," Pyrrha replied.

" **We got trouble," said a marine with binoculars.**

 **The Scarab was lumbering toward them. A lone Scorpion rolled in to confront the approaching behemoth, but it was melted by the energy beam that the scarab emitted.**

" **See this look," said one marine pointing to his face, "It's terror!"**

 **Banks rolled his eyes and took aim at the scarab with his rifle.**

" **Marine! Did I give you permission to bitch?!"**

 **Banks opened fire, followed by every marine on the balcony. It wouldn't do much; in fact the Covenant walker simply ignored them, climbed over their position and went on their way.**

"That's some tough armor," said Velvet, "They should go for the legs, like what Jaune and his daughter did with that nanook."

"A nanook?" balked Winter, "This Arc fought against a grimm as fearsome as that?"

"With my potential future daughter," said Yang proudly, "It was the show just before this one."

"I see…" said Winter, intrigued.

Weiss noticed her elder sister's interested gaze, and felt odd as she saw it.

 **Jaune noticed a stairwell that went above the scarab.**

" **Banks, get your men, and follow me," said Jaune before he took off and went for the stairs.**

 **He climbed several stories, and found himself on a walkway with several bridges that ran over the scarab's approach. Banks and his marines arrived shortly after he did, and they all moved across the catwalks firing down on the scarab's upper assault platform that was mounted by grunts and jackals.**

 **As it neared a catwalk, Jaune removed the pins of two grenades, and tossed them onto the scarab's platform. After the grenades cleared the assault deck of the Scarab, the marines stopped firing as Jaune leapt onto the behemoth's back when it went underneath the catwalk, and went inside the spacious control room within before he heard the marines continue to open fire on the vehicle.**

"Taking it out from the inside, just like that carrier," said Sun.

"That always seems to be the strategy in a lot of stories if the enemy's hide is too tough," said Ren.

"It just shows how effective it can be," said Ruby.

 **The room was filled with grunts managing the controls, and Jaune took them out first to ensure that there would be no interference with the…**

' **Where's the elite?' he thought.**

 **Suddenly, his HUD tracked movement. He turned to see nothing but a transparent blur, before he saw the room spin after he was struck. The elite in command was a Spec Ops Elite with an active camouflage-**

 **FFSSSH**

 **-and an energy sword.**

"Active camouflage," said Ilia, "Like me."

"You're getting ideas, aren't you?" questioned Blake in a flat tone.

"How can I not? It's my faunus trait after all," said Ilia.

"Look at that sword design! I looks like bottle opener, but cooler," gushed Ruby.

"You suddenly made that weapon a little less cool," said Yang.

 **Jaune reached for his rifle, but the elite kicked it away before it thrusted its sword down. Jaune turned in time, and pulled out an SMG, and opened fire point blank. The rounds disengaged the camouflage and broke the shield, but the elite backed off. As Jaune got up, and the elite landed back, the alien moved in to riposte, and Jaune sidestepped. The elite stabbed into the controls, and twisted into a slash. The blade tips scratched Jaune's armor, and Jaune kept his guard up.**

" **He's good," commented Glynda.**

" **I can tell," replied Jaune as he stared at his adversary in silver armor.**

 **He needed to act fast. If he waited too long the elite's shield would reactivate. He took a step back, and felt his foot hit something. He glanced, and saw a plasma grenade.**

" **Rah!" the elite moved, and thrust his blade.**

 **Jaune rolled to the side, got the grenade, and activated and threw it at the elite. The grenade stuck to the target, and elite howled with rage as it tried to get the grenade off. Jaune rolled to behind the stairwell and it went off. The sword clacked to the side, with a blown off hand holding it. Jaune dared to peek, but looked away when he saw the elite's lower half twitching.**

" **I think I got him," said Jaune.**

"After watching that worm thing blow up, I don't want to know what the elites look like after an explosion," said Velvet

Everyone cringed, as images of twitching, wormy, orange goop entered their minds.

" **Yeah… now let's get this Scarab," said Glynda**

 **Jaune saw more plasma grenades on the ground around the dead grunts. He grouped them up, and went to the lower levels and found the power source of the vehicle behind a shield. Using his SMG, he broke the shield, and got two plasma grenades. He activated them, and placed them in center of the power source, before running to the top of the vehicle. As soon as he was greeted by the open sky, the explosion of the grenades could be heard, and the entire Scarab shook as blue plasma fires erupted from the seams of the machine.**

"And the enemy is down for the count!" cheered Yang.

"Hoo-ah!" cheered Nora as she mimicked the marines and fist-bumped the blonde.

"With that vehicle out of the way, their ground forces have a better chance to retake the city," said Ironwood.

 **As it collapsed onto its legs, Jaune calmly walked away from the wreckage. In the distance, he saw the prophet's ship disengage the gravity well that allowed troops and supply to and from the surface, and move away.**

"They're running away!" yelled Ruby.

"Coward," muttered Coco, "Take your defeat like a man!"

"Yeah!" agreed Sun.

 **He was about to move when he saw a Pelican approach just behind him, and hover.**

" _ **That's right you mothers! Run!"**_ **shouted Branwen over the bird's intercom.**

 **Suddenly In Amber Clad flew overhead the duo and the marines in the catwalks.**

" _ **Not if we can help it, Sarge,"**_ **said Winter over the channel.**

 **Winter sat in her chair and assessed the situation. She looked at the screen with Branwen on it.**

" **Extract the Chief, and return to In Amber Clad," said Winter.**

" **Roger that!" said Branwen, when she noticed an incoming transmission on the screen.**

 **As soon as Branwen turned off his screen, she pushed the button, and revealed Ironwood.**

" **Status?" said her commanding officer.**

" **Sir, the prophet is bugging out. Request permission to engage," said Winter as her ship began a steady pursuit.**

" **Negative, commander! I'll vector two heavies for a star-side intercept," said Ironwood.**

"Do you seriously need permission to go after the guy?" muttered Qrow.

"Considering, that my own allies could accidently attack my ship with a bombardment while they aimed for that carrier, it's generally a good idea," responded Winter

"You and your protocols, no wonder it takes a while for you Atlas types to do anything that can be done quickly."

"We believe in doing the job right the first time, and not the trial-and-error method you seem to prefer," Winter ground out.

 **Suddenly, a bright, swirling light appeared in front of the prophet's ship. Winter froze in shock at what the carrier was doing.**

" **Ma'am, split-space rupture off the target's bow! It's going to jump. Inside the city!" said one of her officers.**

 **The damage it would cause would be devastating, and Winter's gaze whipped back to the screen.**

" **There's no time, sir!" declared Winter.**

"By 'jump,' what did they mean?" asked Ruby, as a scared feeling entered her.

"It might try to escape inside the city limits. Judging by the size of those engines, it could destroy a number of few buildings," said Weiss.

"… _ **Green light! Green light to engage!"**_ **answered Ironwood.**

 **At that moment she saw on her notification screen Branwen's Pelican had just docked in her ship's hangar.**

" **Punch it, get us close!" ordered Winter as soon as he ship's hangar doors began to close.**

 **The ship sped, up, and one of her other pilots turned to her.**

" **Ma'am, without a destination solution…"**

" **We are not losing that ship," declared Winter.**

 **In Amber Clad's engines roared and just as the Covenant carrier fully entered into the light, Winter's ship slipped in, and the light closed off. An explosion then erupted from where the light had been, and engulfed the entire city. Wind, fire, and debris tore the streets and shattered windows, and the city was laid to waste by departure of the Prophet of Regret.**

"…I was wrong," whispered Weiss in shock.

"The whole city…" gasped Ruby.

"What a spiteful thing to do," growled Weiss.

"I hope all those marines from before found some form of cover before that explosion went off," said Pyrrha.

"They may not all have found cover. However, those that could get to the tunnels, or the basements of buildings should be fine. Relatively at least," said Ozpin.

"Yes, this outfit is a tough bunch," said Ironwood.

"I bet Jaune and his pals are going to want payback," said Coco.

"Well, Commander Winter and Jaune are going to go after that Prophet. I doubt he'll come out unscathed," said Ren.

"Indeed," said Winter with a noticeably vindictive tone.

"Hey there's more!" said Sun.

…

 **Ren's eyes opened, and he saw the floor moving, and felt his legs ache. A screeching noise could be heard, jackals, and Ren dared to peek where he was. The number of cells… the screeching jackals and the whimpering of grunts: he was in the jails. He saw Cardin's back ahead of him, and his arms each held by a brute as they dragged his body across the cold, rough floor. Ren hung his head down again.**

"I guess we're going to see what happens to you next," said Nora.

"I guess so," said Ren.

While he had been disgusted by the Covenant's practices in war, he would lie if he was not curious as to what fate befell his counterpart.

" **How much further must we heft this baggage? Any cell will do," complained one brute.**

" **Why not toss him in with this lot?" suggested one with a pack of vicious, hungry jackals, "They could use the meat."**

" **Them? What about us? My belly aches. And his flesh is seared just the way I like it."**

The audience remembered the sight of the Jackal aliens eating the dead, and felt a chill down their spine.

"It seems those jackals aren't the only carnivorous members of the Covenant," said Ozpin.

"Sick," said Yang.

" **Quiet!" barked Cardin, "You two whimper like Grunts fresh off the teat! He's not meant for the jails. The Hierarchs have something special in mind."**

' **Special…?' thought Ren.**

 **Ren was led down to an elevator, then a causeway to a large structure surrounded by elites of the Hierarch's personal guard in the red and yellow armor with ornamental helms, and pikes. They entered the room, and Ren saw the hive of internment pods lining the wall. In the middle of the room were Truth and Mercy.**

"What do you think those pods are?" asked Nora.

"If 'internment' means the same thing as it does here, then those are graves," said Weiss.

 **Cardin and the brutes that held him knelt.**

" **Noble Prophets of Truth and Mercy. I have brought the incompetent," said Cardin.**

" **You may leave, Cardin," said Truth.**

" **But… I thought-"**

" **And take your brutes with you."**

 **Cardin bowed, and turned to his underlings.**

" **Release the prisoner," he ordered.**

 **Ren was dropped to the floor, and the brutes vacated the room as Ren pushed himself up to kneel.**

" **The council decided to have you hung by your entrails, and your corpse paraded through the city," said Truth.**

"That's… grisly," said Ren.

Nora, and Pyrrha gulped, as everyone else gasped.

" **But, ultimately, the terms of your execution are up to me," said Truth.**

Sighs of relief were released, since they weren't going to be subjected to seeing so grim a fate. The anxiety was still there though.

" **I am already dead," said Ren.**

" **Indeed. Do you know where we are?" asked Truth.**

" **The Mausoleum of the Arbiter," said Ren.**

" **Quite so," said Truth, pleased, "Here rests the vanguard of the Great Journey. Every Arbiter, from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis."**

" **The Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion," remarked Mercy, "Were it not for the Arbiter, the Covenant would have broken long ago!"**

"Arbiter," said Ren, "That was the title that that soldier Locke addressed me as."

"Locke did mention they were best warriors among the Elites," supplied Pyrrha.

" **Even on my knees, I do not belong in their presence," said Ren.**

" **Halo's destruction was your error, and you rightly bear the blame," agreed Truth, "But the council was… overzealous. We know you are no heretic."**

"Then why punish me?" asked Ren

"You're a fall guy," said Qrow, "That Halo thing was part of their religion. They needed someone to make an example of to keep the peace, and as the leader of the fleet that protected it, the buck stops with you."

While it was callous, Ren was suddenly very grateful that Jaune was leader in their reality, and not him.

 **Truth pushed a button on his chair, and a hologram of another elite in gas mining armor with backfins, with a breathing apparatus, and a jetpack appeared.**

" **This is the true face of heresy," said Truth, "One who would subvert out faith, and incite rebellion against the High Council."**

 **Truth hit another button, and the hologram moved.**

" _ **Our Prophets our false! Open your eyes, my brothers!" declared the heretic, "They would use the faith of our forefathers to bring ruin to us all! The Great Journey is-"**_

" **This heretic," began Truth, who stopped the playback, "…and all who follow him, must be silenced."**

" **Their slander offends all who walk the path," added Mercy.**

"That heretic sounds like Professor Port," said Weiss.

"It would appear Peter discovered something about this 'Great Journey," said Glynda.

"And he's telling as many of his people as he can about it," added Ozpin.

" **What use am I?" lamented Ren, "I can no longer command ships, lead troops into battle."**

" **Not as you are, no," said Truth, "But, become the Arbiter… and you shall be set loose against this heresy with our blessing."**

 **A floral-shaped object moved forward to the center of the room, and opened itself to Ren. Ren was blinded by the light, but his vision adjusted and he saw it. Armor, forged in the traditional method of his people, bronze-silver in color, with ornate engravings. The helm had a flared back, but no mandible guards. It also had a standard combat harness, and articulated plates that protected the legs and arms. The armor was old, ceremonial, but so was the title and symbol of the Arbiter to his people.**

"It seems like you are given a chance to redeem yourself," said Blake.

"I doubt their High Council will be happy," said Ren.

" **What of the council?" asked Ren, concerned.**

" **The tasks you must undertake as the Arbiter are perilous, suicidal," explained Mercy, "You will die, as each Arbiter has before you. The council will have their corpse."**

"Or, maybe not," corrected Ren.

"Another waste of good soldiers," muttered Ironwood, "Do these leaders also decide military matters?

"It explains the tactics that border on fanatical suicide," said Winter in disgust.

 **Ren was silent before he gather his strength and got to his feet. He walked to the armor, clutching his brand. He gazed upon the armor, and thought he could hear it call to him.**

 **Arbiter… In ages past, before the Covenant, it was a title to be proud of. The greatest warriors of Sanghelios bore the title. After the joining of his people to the Covenant, Arbiters served the Prophets and were what every elite aspired to be. However, the rebellion of one Arbiter, Fal' Chavamee, ended the honor the title once held, and the title was held with an equal amount of shame. Elites who had been given the title since that day were often disgraced… like him.**

"Maybe that's why you're made an Arbiter," said Velvet, "The title isn't just for a capable warrior, but also a disgraced one."

"One Arbiter rebelled, and now the title is dragged through the mud. That's a shame," said Coco.

"It sounds like politics," said Ozpin.

"I wonder what that one Arbiter rebelled for," said Nora.

 **Ren grasped the helm, and looked at it.**

' **If I live, I shall be forever known as a heretic, but perhaps as the Arbiter… in death…'**

 **He placed the helm upon his head, and faced Truth and Mercy.**

" **What would you have your Arbiter do?" asked Ren.**

 **Truth and Mercy smiled…**

"Okay, that's definitely creepy," said Ilia.

"I know," said Blake in complete agreement.

"I get the feeling I'm… he's being used," said Ren.

"You are right to think such things," said Ozpin.

 **Three Phantoms descended to the gas giant beneath the ruined Halo's orbit toward the mining facility. Within the lead Phantom, Ren watched a Spec Ops elite, named T'Den, in silver armor walk amongst his soldiers. He would have looked the same as any other of his brothers, but for the two missing mandibles on the left side of his face.**

" **When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath," T'Den said, as he inspected his men.**

" **According to our station. All without exception," the soldiers chorused.**

" **By the blood of our fathers, by the blood of our sons, we swore to uphold the Covenant," continued T'Den.**

" **Even to our dying breath."**

"That elite in the silver armor sounds familiar," said Pyrrha.

"You're right. Where have I heard that voice before," said Glynda.

" **Those who would break this oath are heretics. Worthy of neither pity, nor mercy. Even now, they use our Lord's creations to broadcast their lies."**

" **We shall grind them into dust," declared the soldiers.**

" **And continue our march to glorious salvation!" finished T'Den.**

Ren blinked, and it dawned on him when he heard the elite say "glorious."

"It's Nora," said Ren.

"What?!" everyone shouted.

"From the universe where our genders got swapped," clarified Ren, "That was the voice of Torden Valkyrie."

"Torden… T'Den… Oh my gosh, you're right! That is me," said Nora, "Guess we're together in this Ren. I mean, you know, comrades. I guess… I guess I probably did some bad stuff too."

"You could never…" said Ren, he paused and remembered what Nora told him when he found out what his counterpart did to humanity, "…Well, at least I know I'm not alone here."

"You know me. I'd never leave you hanging," said Nora.

Pyrrha smiled. Ren had been in a bit of a state when he realized what his counterpart in this universe did to humanity. Knowing that Nora, in some form, was going to be there for him must have been a great relief to him.

 **The elites and grunts in the dropship cheered. Only one remained silent, thinking on the old oaths he once heard, and answered to, in his youth before his first battle. The Arbiter's thoughts were interrupted as T'Den approached. It was strange for Ren to see T'Den in this manner. Weeks ago, T'Den was a Spec Ops commander under his command, but now it appeared as though the roles were reversed.**

" **This armor suits you," T'Den said with a hint of reverence before he pointed to the brand, "But it cannot hide that mark."**

" **Nothing ever will," replied Ren.**

 **T'Den looked at Ren with a stern look.**

" **You are the Arbiter, the will of the Prophets. But these," he gestured to his men, "are my elites. Their lives matter to me. Yours does not."**

" **That makes two of us," said Ren simply.**

"Bad counterpart! Ren does matter," grumbled Nora.

"Guess there's some tension," said Sun.

"He is simply reminding him who leads his men, and whose operation this is," said Winter.

"My counterpart seems to understand," said Ren.

 **T'Den looked surprised, and gave a respectful nod when a transmission came from one of the other Phantoms.**

" _ **Leader there is no doubt. The storm will strike the facility,"**_ **said a pilot.**

" **We'll be long gone before it arrives," replied T'Den.**

 **The phantoms went through the storm, and though the trip was turbulent, the heretics' scanners would not be able to track them. Just then their Phantom slowed, and the gravity well opened up. The grunts immediately went down, followed by the elites. Ren followed as soon as the last one exited, with a nod of acknowledgement from T'Den. Ren went down the well, and landed before the three phantoms cleared out. Their commander would keep them posted for any heretic ships approaching while they cleared out their enemy in the facility.**

" _ **Warriors, prepare for combat!"**_ **declared T'Den.**

 **Ren ignited his energy sword and followed his brothers into battle…**

The lights went up, and the light in the volume faded.

"No fair, I wanted to see Ren's mission," said Nora.

"I as well," said Ren.

Archie held up the volume, and the once glowing energy within seemed more muted in color.

"Give the volume some time to recharge. Woven universes tend to be choppier than the other ones we've seen," said Archie, "Besides, I do believe Ms. Belladonna and Amitola have much to catch up on, as do the sisters of the House of Schnee."

"Yes, we do," said Winter.

"Yeah, Blake," said Ilia.

"Alright," said Blake, "There's a gym not far from here. We can have more privacy there."

"Sounds good."

Blake and Ilia left the group to the gym Archie provided. As soon as they were gone, Weiss looked to Winter.

"So, Winter, we have much to catch up on. Would you… like to meet some of my team first, though?"

"Certainly," said Winter, "The sudden… change of venue I experienced did not give me time or patience for such pleasantries."

"This'll be interesting," Yang whispered to Ruby as the Schnee sister looked at them.

"Greetings, you must be Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao Long…" began Winter with a professional smile.

 **A/N: Since these chapters seem to be getting longer now, updates will take a bit longer in some cases. For that reason, I won't put any dates for the previews. I hope you guys liked the Halo chapters, and that this, and the new version of Chapter 8 were to your liking. Let me know what you think of both chapters in the reviews if you can.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes: **

**I debated which Sergeant Johnson quote to use for the Scorpion tank dropoff. Easy mode's was a good one, but so was legendary's. In the end,** _ **Halo**_ **was a legendary game, so it was a no brainer.**

 **Nora as R'Tas Vadum, or "half-jaw," was my plan from the get-go given the sense of comradery he shares with Arbiter. It was part of the reason I did the gender-swapped chapter earlier was so that I could have male versions to the RWBY cast. The idea of female elite warriors is not explored until Halo 5 due to Covenant laws or something, so I needed to have the cast see the Rule 63 versions of themselves so they would know who was who in future chapters.**

 **Review Responses:**

 **Mr dumbstruck – Thank you for pointing out the lackluster work I did for the last chapter. You pretty much saved the Halo portions in my opinion. Most of the fixes I made came from your review after all, so you deserve all the thanks I can give you. So thank you very much, sir.**

 **Jack Redhawke – I did not know Salem's voice actress and Cortana's were the same… Oops I hope no one gets mad at the next chapter now.**

 **Lord Lover Duck – If I decide to drag Tai Yang into this, I'll more than likely return to GoW just so he can see his potential granddaughter. That, or make an omake spinoff series like what Cour did with "Professor Arc."**

 **.1 – You want more? How was this?**

 **Preview:**

 _ **Oooh!**_

 _ **There's a place I know that's tucked away,**_

 _ **A place where you and I can stay,**_

 _ **A place where we can laugh and play,**_

 _ **And have adventures every day!**_

 _ **I know it sounds hard to believe,**_

 _ **But guys and gals, it's true.**_

 _ **Camp Campbell is the place for me and you!**_

…

 **Thank you for reading, and your patience, and please review. See you soon.**


	10. Camp Camp: Camp Beacon

**I went to the Anime Expo in LA last week, and discovered a Rooster Teeth Panel.**

 **I got to see Miles Luna…! For three minutes, before he had to leave. I even got a hat for him that I didn't get signed.**

 **There's always next year, I suppose…**

 **So anyway, Rooster Teeth fans got the preview, and one even guessed the episode I used for this. Just so you all know, I'm not casting based on voice actors alone, I recast the RWBY crew according to, in my opinion, what matches the character's traits or personality. As such, it's all subjective.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY,**_ **or** _ **Camp Camp**_ **. Both are the intellectual property of Rooster Teeth.**

Chapter 10 – Camp Beacon

Blake came back with her old friend, Ilia, about ten minutes ago. Blake had set her up with something to eat and drink, at her friend's request, as she processed the information she had given her before she rejoined her team.

Upon rejoining them, Blake formally met Winter, and that had been an interesting experience. Winter had told Blake straight-up that she disapproved of her sister's association with her, a White Fang member, former or otherwise. However, Winter also stated that Weiss had impressed upon her Blake's desire to change, and make up for the mistakes she made and people she hurt. As such, the elder Schnee said the same thing she told Archie in regards to Ilia: so long as no harm befell Weiss, or herself, Winter would remain civil.

Sighs of relief were given by Team RWBY.

"So… how'd she take it?" asked Yang, who gestured to Ilia, once the team and Winter left.

"About as well as I expected," said Blake, "I told her everything: Adam's radicalization, my team at Beacon, the docks and Mountain Glenn… It's a lot to take in, and our current location makes everything seem…"

"Weird?" suggested Sun.

"Yeah…"

They noticed movement, and turned to see Ilia approach them.

"How are you feeling, Ilia?" asked Blake.

"I'm dealing… As for you, I'm not sure how being a huntress would help. You could do so much more in a leadership role if you were serious about changing the direction of the White Fang," said Ilia.

"Given how far gone the Vale branch turned when I left, I would have to do a lot of bad things to supplant Adam in popularity. By then… people would be shocked by an about face like that," said Blake.

Ilia remained skeptical, but said nothing. Instead she looked to the blondes next to Blake.

"So… are these friends of yours?" asked Ilia.

"Sure am," said Yang as she went over to Ilia, hands on her hips and standing proud, before Blake could introduce, "I'm Yang Xiao Long, Blake's partner at Beacon, we kind of met at the last show."

"Um… I'm Sun, nice to meet you," introduced Sun, not quite sure what to make of Ilia.

Sun had told Blake that he thought the White Fang were a bunch of thugs and creeps, and after the giant robot and the rally, and the Breach, that view was only reinforced. Still, this Ilia girl knew Blake, and Blake wasn't freaking out, so maybe he could give her a chance.

"He's Blake's boyfriend," said Yang.

"Wait, I am?" asked Sun as he looked to Blake, a glint of hope in his eyes.

"Yang! It was a dance," burst out Blake.

Ilia quirked an eyebrow, and looked at the now downcast Sun… She was unimpressed. Almost immediately, she looked at Yang.

"So, by partner…" she said.

"Well, you know, we hang out, do homework together, I try to get her play video games, but she'd rather read…"

'Oh, well that doesn't seem so bad…' thought Ilia.

"We share a room…" Yang added to her list.

"W-What?" blinked Ilia.

"Yeah. All Beacon teams share a room together, though we share a bed too, technically."

Ilia's mind went blank as her spots went pink.

"YANG! Don't say it like that! It's a bunk bed," cried out Blake.

"Yeah… I'm on top, by the way. Blake likes being on the bottom," Yang teased as the opportunity presented itself.

Ilia's cheeks turned the same color as her spots, and a dopey smile formed on Sun's face.

"Shut up, Yang!" growled Blake.

Ilia stopped listening at the top-and-bottom comment, and her mind went a million miles an hour.

'S-She went to a dance with a guy, but is sleeping with a girl…?' she thought.

An analysis formed in her mind as she looked between the two blondes her friend was apparently seeing, and was currently arguing with:

 **Sun & Yang V.S. Ilia**

 **Luscious Locks** vs **Flat Hair**

 **Strong, Muscular Figures** vs **Petite Figure**

 **Taller Than Blake** vs **Shorter Than Blake**

Ilia zeroed in on Sun, and had to admit the abs were impressive. She then looked to Yang… and her chest…

Inside, a voice cried out in despair.

"…Mustn't lose," she whispered.

The three stopped arguing.

"Um… you say something?" asked Yang.

"N-No… I'm going to go to the couch and wait for the next viewing," she said, dejected.

"I'll join you," said Blake, and she went to Ilia's side.

Ilia let out a content sigh as she felt Blake's hand on her shoulder.

Meanwhile at the couch, Winter approached Archie.

"A question, if I may," said Winter.

"Of course, Ms. Schnee," said Archie.

Winter blinked.

"Ms. Schnee…?"

"Sorry, no one has addressed me in that manner for some time," said Winter, "My question is regarding the content we are watching. You explained upon our arrival that that this archive covers one, Jaune Arc."

"Yes," confirmed Archie.

"If so, why did we sometimes see things from the perspectives of others instead of solely Mr. Arc? Perspectives such as that alien's, who is that young man there, in that universe?" she asked as she gestured to Ren.

"Ooh, yeah," said Nora, "Just like that one universe where Ren was a mad scientist!"

Ren groaned as he remembered.

"Hmm… well, I guess I can explain why while I set up the next viewing," said Archie as he picked up a volume, "You see, the way I normally go through a volume is to… I guess you could say I meld myself with the content."

"Meld?" asked Ruby.

"Yes, I link my essence to Jaune's soul within each of the volumes. Every joy and sorrow, every triumph and defeat, I experience it from his perspective."

"That… sounds amazing, and terrifying," said Pyrrha.

"It is," he said before he approached the VHS, "However, if I only see things from Jaune's perspective, I won't get a complete picture of the events. Without that additional context, I won't fully understand where a volume fits in the Archive as a whole. The VHS links directly to the rest of the Archive, and provides information of surrounding events that do affect Jaune."

"So that's why we saw that one where it was mostly from Ren's perspective. Without Ren, that version of Jaune couldn't come back to life," said Velvet.

"Yes, that was a Woven Universe as well, though Jaune was there from the beginning," said Archie.

"Wasn't he dead for most of it?" asked Qrow.

"Er, yes well… Ahem, here's the next volume," said Archie.

Glynda nudged Qrow with her elbow as everyone gathered around to watch.

"What? It's true…" he grumbled as the lights went down…

…

 _ **In the mountains there was a summer camp known as Camp Beacon, where kids from all over the state could come to pursue their passions for the summer.**_

"Oh, I remember summer camp!" gushed Ruby, "The games, the smell of the trees and the crystal clear waters…"

"Good for you," grumbled Yang.

"It was fun!" proclaimed Ruby, "You know, you never did tell me why you hated the camp in Patch."

"Aside from the mosquitoes, there was that centipede that crawled down by sleeping bag during 'Tent Night."

"What?" gasped Ruby.

"It bit me, and they had to use a venom extractor because of how painful it was," said Yang.

"I, uh, guess that makes sense. Wait, is that why there was an ambulance that one summer?" asked Ruby.

Yang grumbled at the memory.

 _ **Such activities included science, and adventure...**_

"Hmm, interesting curriculum so far," said Ozpin.

"I was actually thinking about adding a summer program to the Atlas and Summit Academy curriculum. Perhaps we can gain some ideas here, Ozpin," said Ironwood.

"It would be nice to talk about a more light-hearted matter once in a while," chuckled Ozpin.

 _ **Art…**_

"Art?" questioned Weiss.

"Yeah! Growing up, there was macaroni art, finger-painting butterflies we saw in the forests, that sort of thing," said Ruby.

"Oh, and don't forget the kiddie-dough pottery," gushed Velvet.

"You had that too?" asked Ruby.

"Sounds childish…" said Weiss.

"Well, it is a camp for kids," said Sun.

 _ **Magic…**_

"Huh?" asked Coco.

 _ **LARPing…**_

"Like at Remnant Historical Society's Medieval Fair, and what those people at conventions do?" asked Blake.

 _ **Space flight…**_

"What?!" everyone shouted.

 _ **And behavioral corrections to stem the propagation of troublesome youth in society.**_

Everyone blinked at the last one.

"The hell kind of children's camp is this?" asked Ilia, dumbfounded.

"It sounds like a camp that couldn't decide what to do," said Coco.

"Sound more like a scam, if you ask me," said Weiss.

 _ **Yes, there was nothing Camp Beacon could not offer, and it was all the vision of one Peter Port, the Camp's founder, that all was possible.**_

Glynda and Ozpin paled at the thought of Peter running Beacon, even if this version was merely a summer camp. Peter was a good man, and an able huntsman. However, like Bartholomew, he wasn't the most attentive individual when it came to day to day operations. To this day, Glynda never let go how much of a headache she got when she had to go to the Vale Collection Offices to sort out the literal mess of tax documents that the duo had mailed.

 _ **However, Peter Port needed people with an equal amount of vision and enthusiasm to keep the camp running in tip-top shape. People like the vibrant and ever cheerful Glynda, affectionately known as "Glyn," by the loving children of the camp.**_

"Glyn?" chuckled Ozpin.

"Ever cheerful…?" snorted Qrow.

"So, Ms. Goodwitch is one of the people running this kooky place? This ought to be funny," said Coco.

"It sounds more like a headache," said Glynda.

 **Glynda sat at a desk in the counselor's office wearing her uniform: a green T-shirt with a pine tree logo, and brown short shorts. She watched her favorite Sci-Fi show, Doctor Who, and sighed as Doctor 11 whisked Clara Oswald away for a journey through space and time. She looked out the window, and let out a whine. Once again, she lamented her choice of Liberal Arts for her major in college, since it could only land her a job here.**

"That sounds so… sad," said Velvet.

"Perhaps it's her first job," suggested Ozpin.

"Perhaps…" sighed Glynda, with a frown.

Glynda was not particularly fond of her counterpart's apparent attitude. It seemed so resigned. Maybe it was her counterpart's youth, but Glynda had always been of the opinion that if one adopted the right mindset, a person could pull themselves out of any undesirable living situations.

" **Clara, you lucky bitch. If only a cute time-traveling doctor could get me out of this fucking nightmare of a camp," grumbled Glynda.**

" **Oh cheer up Glynda," said a voice with nothing but positivity.**

"That's Jaune!" said Ruby.

 **Glynda let out a silent scream.**

"Well that doesn't sound good," said Yang.

 _ **Oh, yes, who could ever forget Glynda's partner in fun: Jaune, or Jauney, as Peter Port liked to call him. Jaune was everything a Beacon Counselor could be. He was energetic, enthusiastic, resourceful, and of course always had a positive, can-do attitude and smile on his face.**_

 **Glynda turned away from the TV to see her scraggly co-counselor with that happy toothy smile on his face. Like her, he wore the standard Camp Beacon uniform, but his shorts were longer, and he wore a yellow handkerchief around his neck, and a brown vest over the shirt. In his hands was a plastic bag.**

"Wow… and I thought he was scraggily in our universe," marveled Weiss at just how skinny Jaune was.

"He's like a toothpick," said Yang.

"He's a counselor at a summer camp. I'm sure he's strong in other areas," defended Pyrrha.

"True, it takes adaptability, not just strength to survive in the wilderness," added Winter.

"Exactly!" added Nora, "Ren and I lived in the woods for a long time, and weren't the most muscly of people back then."

Ren nodded in confirmation.

" **Just because someone else gets to see the world, and have wonderful experiences throughout time and space, doesn't mean you can't have an adventure of your own," said Jaune in his ever happy voice, "Why, I bet you if got Blake and Velvet to work together, you could have an adventure right here in Camp Beacon!"**

"Wow… Jaune's a lot happier in this universe," said Ruby, "I mean, he's pretty cheerful back home, and funny too. But this… is a lot more."

"I know, it's like they added a twelve to the happy meter, and kept it up there," said Yang.

" **Right, because the last time those two got together nothing bad** _ **ever**_ **happened," ground out Glynda in a sarcastic tone.**

" **I know Blake nearly burned down the cafeteria pretending the Molotov cocktail Sun gave her was a fireball spell, but think about how the kids learned about the importance of fire safety. Now whenever a fire breaks out the children will know exactly how to react," said Jaune with a smile.**

Everyone stared at Jaune's counterpart.

"I don't know if I should be frightened, or impressed with how he was able to put a positive spin on the idea of a burning building," said Weiss.

"You burned down the cafeteria? Go Blake!" said Yang.

"Yang, shouldn't you discourage me from committing arson?" asked Blake.

"It was a summer camp cafeteria. It's fine," said Yang darkly.

"Wow… you really hated that camp," said Qrow, as Yang teammates subtly scooted away from the blonde.

"The meatloaf is good for you… Two hours in the toilet…" Yang muttered as she remembered her childhood, and shivered.

 **Glynda wanted to tear her hair out as she remembered the screams of the children wondering if the whole camp and forest was going to burn down. They got so much flak from the fire department, and of course, fucking Port was still dodging the authorities, and Jaune was useless with paperwork.**

"Professor Port's dodging the authorities?" asked Velvet in surprise.

"Guess you were right, Weiss. The camp was probably a scam," said Blake.

'I'm getting a headache just thinking about it, and I don't even work there,' thought Glynda.

 **It fell on her, the only college graduate in the whole fucking hellhole, to deal with all the legal bullshit that followed.**

"…That sounds incredibly familiar," said Glynda, as she stared at Ozpin with an accusing glare.

Whenever it came to paperwork, she was the only one Ozpin "trusted" to see it properly through.

"If you'd like Glynda, we could trade jobs," began Ozpin slyly, "I'll do the paperwork, and you can handle the Council and the media."

"Certainly," said Glynda, which caught the headmaster off guard, "Anything to see you pushing papers for the day."

Ozpin began to shift nervously in his seat.

 **She turned from the TV to face Jaune, to give him a piece of her mind and mouthful of her fist, but blinked in surprise by what she saw. Over Jaune's counselor uniform was a boutonniere on his vest, and he held a bouquet in his hands as he tossed the plastic bag from before into a waste bin.**

" **Are you going somewhere?" she asked.**

" **Sure am! I've got a hot date, if you know what I mean," said Jaune with a wink.**

 **Glynda internally cheered. She was so glad Jaune found a girlfriend.**

"Whoa, Jaune has a girlfriend?" asked Sun.

"For real?" questioned Qrow.

"Aw, good for him," said Ruby cheerfully.

Suddenly, Pyrrha, Yang, Coco, Velvet, and, surprisingly, Winter leaned in a little more.

" **Good for you, Jaune," said Glynda happily.**

"Talk about a shift in tone," said Coco.

"Indeed, she was not this friendly before," said Glynda.

" **Aw shucks, thanks Glyn. Oh will you look at the time," he said as he pulled out the keys to the camp's sole car outside from the bus the quartermaster used, "I better get the car going. You know how long it takes to get the old girl running properly. I'll be back sometime by midnight."**

" **Anything you need me to do?" asked Glynda.**

" **Oh, just the usual: dinner at seven and lights out by nine. Just make sure Sun eats his vegetables, and that Roman doesn't give Ozpin or Adam a wedgie at dinner. Oh, and that Space Kid takes a bath."**

"Roman? As in Roman Torchiwick?" asked Ironwood, "Wait, did he say wedgie?"

"I believe he did," said Ozpin, uncomfortable at the prospect.

"He also said Adam," said Ilia with a laugh, as the image of Adam getting a wedgie came to mind, "Guess Torchick is going to literally be a pain in Adam's ass."

Blake also found the image amusing, and giggled a little.

" **Sure thing, Jaune," said Glynda before pushing Jaune out, gently, "Now go out there and get her, tiger."**

" **Wish me luck!" he said, before she closed the door on him.**

 **Glynda saw him make his way to the car, and as soon as he got in, she whooped in delight.**

" **Hell yeah! A night without Jaune!"**

 **Again, she was so glad Jaune had a girlfriend, since it meant more nights for herself.**

"So that's why you were so happy," said Yang.

"Nights for myself _do_ sound nice," said Glynda.

"If you need them, you have only to ask," offered Ozpin.

"I'd take you up on the offer, if one of the other professors would discharge my duties to my standards," said Glynda.

"Hmm… that would be a problem," said Ozpin.

Glynda sighed

 **The sound of a sputtering exhaust pipe got three kids to leave the cafeteria cabin. One was a tan blonde in a white hoodie and jeans, the second was a kid in a green T-shirt, white pants, with pink suspenders and black hair, and the third was a young blonde girl with wild hair, brown suspender shorts with a yellow T-shirt. The campers were Sun, Ren, and Yang respectively, and they were known as being the chief troublemakers of the camp.**

"Whoa, I haven't seen that hoodie in years," said Sun.

"What am I wearing?" gasped Yang.

"It's nice, in a tomboy kind of way," said Coco.

"Not helping," said Yang.

"What's this about Ren being a troublemaker?" asked Nora, great interest in her voice.

"Why is it I keep causing problems in some of these universes?" Ren asked rhetorically.

" **What's with all the noise?!" demanded Sun.**

" **Yeah! You're ruining Space Kid's run at the gallon challenge!" added Yang.**

 **A little girl in red and black overalls, sorry, in a "space suit," with a fishbowl on her head exited the cabin to join them with a half a gallon of milk in her hands.**

"That's me!" said Ruby, "Wait, why did you call me Space Kid?"

"Maybe it's a nickname?" suggested Yang.

"Among family?" questioned Blake.

"Doubtful… Perhaps in in this universe you aren't related" offered Weiss after some thought.

The two looked at Weiss, dumbstruck.

"I recall Jaune referring to a 'Space Kid,' while talking to Ms. Goodwitch. Unless Jaune is related to Yang in this, I doubt it's a family thing," Weiss explained.

"Oh…" said Ruby, downcast.

"It's okay sis," said Yang, pulling Ruby into a one-arm hug, "We're the best pair of sisters in any universe."

Ruby melted into the hug.

" **Blegh!" Space Kid threw up in her helmet.**

And the hug ended.

"Eww…" both Yang and Ruby said.

" **Oh…" said Yang, disappointed.**

" **Told you," said Ren, as Yang handed him a dollar.**

"Ren, you bet against me?" gasped Ruby, "I can totally drink a gallon of milk."

"Um…" began Ren.

"NO!" shouted Yang and Qrow.

The two knew of Ruby's obsession with milk, and it's… growing properties. It was best not to tempt things.

"You are only permitted two glasses a day," said Yang.

"But-"

"Weiss will enforce that rule," added Yang.

"Certainly," said Weiss.

"I can do it…" muttered Ruby.

 **The three went to the car to see Jaune get out of it, and look to them.**

" **Sorry kiddos," he apologized, "Guess the old camp mobile's just acting up today."**

 **Sun held a hand up to stop him from talking.**

" **Hold up: flowers, a boutonniere?" he questioned as Ren cringed and Yang snickered, "What are you doing? Going to prom?"**

" **Oh no. I've got a date tonight," said Jaune proudly.**

 **The three blinked in shock.**

" **A date?!" balked Sun.**

" **You?!" added Yang.**

" **What? Is that really so hard to believe?**

"Yeah," said Qrow, "Seriously, the guy just screams: virgin."

"He has a good heart. It would make sense if he found someone who can appreciate that," Pyrrha said pointedly.

"Yeah!" added Nora.

Ren nodded.

" **Honestly, yeah," said Ren, in response to Jaune's question, "We really all thought it was some sort of Ken-doll situation going on down there."**

 **Jaune covered his crotch.**

Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't get it," she said.

Yang laughed a little.

"Don't worry, Ruby. It's not that important," said Yang.

" **Well you're wrong!" declared Jaune, "I happen to be a bit of a hopeless romantic."**

" **Oh, hopeless for sure," said Sun.**

" **So, who's the lucky lady? How'd you meet her?" began Yang sweetly before her eyes shone with mischief, "Have you, he-heh,** _ **held hands**_ **?"**

"Aw… I'm so adorable in this," cooed Yang.

"I know… it's so strange," said Blake.

"Oh, be quiet you little arsonist, you," teased Yang.

Blake just rolled her eyes.

 **Jaune took a thoughtful pose.**

" **Well, technically I met her online, but I consider our first meeting to be the premiere of Velvet's play," said Jaune.**

"Online dating?" questioned Weiss.

"There's no shame in courting in that manner," said Ironwood, "The shady nature of the camp aside, the narration did indicate Mr. Arc takes his work seriously. He's probably too busy to court a woman in the traditional manner."

"Or maybe he's desperate…" muttered Ilia.

 **Sun blinked.**

" **Wait!" he said before going over to Jaune, and climbing up his clothes to his face, "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT! Jaune, are you dating** _ **Pyrrha**_ **?!"**

Pyrrha's breath caught in her throat, and hope filled her eyes. Nora suddenly got giddy, and Ren leaned forward with interest.

" **Oh, you remember her," said Jaune before he held up his phone to show a picture.**

 **Jaune, scraggly and skinny, was standing next to a buff, husky woman with vibrant red hair, emerald green eyes, and milky white skin with a red shirt that said "No Gag Reflex." He had an arm wrapped around her lovingly, as his other hand held up the phone to take a selfie of the two of them having fun on their date.**

"Wow, Pyrrha. You are buff," said Nora.

Pyrrha did not care in the slightest. She and Jaune were together in another universe!

 **Sun's and face burst into a smile.**

Pyrrha's face was stretched into a bright smile.

" **This is the best day of my life!"**

"Yes!" she shouted joyfully onto her feet… and remembered there were other people with her.

They stared at her…

"Er… how nice," she said bashfully, as she sat down and tried to ignore some of the knowing smiles she got from the other girls, sans Glynda and Winter.

Pyrrha caught the glances of Yang and Velvet, tinged with envy, and did her best to not look smug.

'My turn!' she internally sang.

 **Sun let go of Jaune, and laughed obnoxiously. Sun had set up that date with Pyrrha as a joke, thinking that Jaune would get crushed, literally and emotionally by the fitness freak. To find out that the two actually hit it off was hilarious.**

"Wow… I sound like such an ass in this universe," commented Sun.

"At least something good came from one of your counterpart's pranks," said Blake.

"Oh… well, uh, that's cool I guess," said Sun, a warm spot in his chest at Blake's defense.

Ilia quirked an eyebrow at the two.

" **You've been seeing each other this whole time?" asked Ren.**

" **Sure have!" said Jaune proudly and happily, "We really hit it off. She says I'm 'Cute-AF,' which I assume stands for 'and fun."**

" **Oh…" sighed Yang happily, "It doesn't."**

"What does it mean?" asked Ruby.

"Um… I'll tell you when you're older," said Yang.

"So true though," whispered Pyrrha with a hungry tone.

"She's pretty hung up on him," whispered Ilia to Blake, "Is he really that appealing?"

"I wouldn't know…" shrugged Blake, "I never really had much of a reason to talk to him."

 **Just then, they heard a loud roar, and turned to see a purple hot-rod truck with a license plate that read "CNTSMSHR" pull up. Pyrrha got out of the truck and wore grey pants, steel toe boots, and had a tank top that said "Cock Factory." Her large arm closed the door behind her and she approached Jaune with a neutral expression.**

" **Rha-Rha? What are you doing here?" asked Jaune confused, "I'm not supposed to pick you up for another hour."**

" **Fucking 'Rha-Rha?" heaved Sun in amusement.**

"Rha-Rha?! I have a nickname," said Pyrrha, excited at the possibilities that could await her at home.

She got Nora by the collar, to the surprise of the ginger girl.

"Did you hear that, Nora? Rha-Rha…" she sighed dreamily.

"Calm down Pyrrha. People will start to think you're crazy," said Nora, "Right Ren?"

Ren shrugged, and Team RWBY chose not to comment on the irony of the statement.

 **Pyrrha sighed.**

" **Jaune, I'm sorry, but this isn't working out," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice, "You're just… not man enough for me."**

 **Sun immediately stopped laughing, and had a look of horror on his face, along with Ren and Yang.**

If the world could crack like glass, Pyrrha would have heard it loud and clear.

"W-What?" Pyrrha squeaked.

" **W-What do you mean? What are you saying?!" gasped Jaune as he held the bouquet as though it were a safety blanket.**

"Yes… W-What are you saying?!" Pyrrha demanded.

" **I'm saying, it's over, Jaune," clarified Pyrrha, a little annoyed, "I'm breaking up with you."**

 **She got back to her truck and drove off. Jaune dropped the flowers and sniffled.**

"… **Oh," said Jaune.**

 **The cafeteria cabin door burst open, and Ruby exited the building in triumph.**

" **I did it!" she declared with an empty gallon bottle.**

"An hour before the rendezvous? That's rather cruel," commented Winter.

"Sucks for him," shrugged Ilia.

"Um… Pyrrha?" said Ruby when she noticed how still the red head had become.

"…"

"Yo… P-Money, you alright?" asked Yang, nervous.

"…"

"Oh come on, Pyrrha. It's an alternate universe, I'm sure in our world you'd-" started Weiss.

"WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!" Pyrrha shrieked.

Those who knew her best were shocked.

Pyrrha swore.

"I finally get a chance to see what it would be like for me to be with my crush, and my counterpart breaks up with him before I get a chance to see. That's bull-mmph!"

Nora clapped a hand over Pyrrha's mouth.

"Hey look Pyrrha, there's… oomph… there's more to see!" said Nora as she struggled to keep Pyrrha from going ballistic.

 **Glynda finished writing on the chalkboard, and faced the entire camp's young charges.**

 _ **Lia, short for Ilia, the tall, cool girl who signed up for Camp Beacon's Extreme Sports Camp.**_

"Cool girl…? Also, Extreme Sports Camp?" asked Ilia.

"There are sports camps," pointed out Sun cautiously.

Ilia just quirked an eyebrow at the monkey faunus.

 _ **Space Kid, name unknown, who signed up for Camp Beacon's Space Camp.**_

"Wait, 'name unknown?' It's Ruby!" declared Ruby.

"It should be on the camp's registration papers," said Glynda.

"Well the whole camp is pretty shifty to begin with," said Qrow.

 _ **Ozpin, an aspiring magician who signed up for Magic Camp.**_

Ironwood, Glynda, and Qrow all looked to Ozpin.

"Huh…" said Ozpin as he blinked at the notion.

 _ **Sun, a troublemaker who had a habit of trying to escape the camp.**_

"Trying to escape? Does this camp suck, or something?" asked Sun.

"Probably," said Blake, "I mean, it already seems bad enough."

 _ **Yang, who signed up for Adventure Camp.**_

"That seems to fit me pretty well," said Yang.

"It's also the only one that seems to fit the venue of the camp as well," added Winter.

 _ **Ren, who signed up for Science Camp.**_

"Science camp…?" asked Ren

"I can see that," said Glynda, "A forest is vibrant ecosystem for any young scientist to study, especially if they have an interest in biology or ecology, even geography. This camp, were it more legitimate, could accommodate such a program."

 _ **Velvet, an aspiring actress/playwrite/producer who signed up for Theatre Camp.**_

"Theatre Camp… in a forest? Wait, am I wearing a courtier's outfit?" asked Velvet.

"How many 'camps' does this camp have?" asked Coco.

"Far too many already," said Weiss, who tried to figure out if any legitimate business model to account for this. So far, none to her mind.

 _ **Blake, a young lady with a vivid imagination who signed up for LARPing Camp.**_

"What's with the wizard hat, and cape? And, do I have elf ears?" asked Blake.

"They aren't so bad…" said Sun.

 _ **Roman, a bully who was put into Behavioral Corrections Camp.**_

"Good luck with that," commented Ironwood.

"Roman's pretty chubby in this universe," said Ruby.

 _ **And lastly, Adam, an aspiring artist with a shifty mask who signed up for Arts and Crafts Camp.**_

"Arts and Crafts?" choked out Blake and Ilia.

…They had to see this.

" **And that covers the basics of the Heimlich maneuver," began Glynda, "Jaune, would you mind demonstrating what we've learned on the dummy?"**

 **Jaune, with puffy eyes, a sniffling nose, and tears on his cheeks rolled a ballistic dummy to the group.**

" **S-Sure thing, co-counselor," he sniffled.**

 **Sun rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh.**

" **Oh, God, here it comes," he muttered.**

"Yeesh, what's with the waterworks?" muttered Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow, Jaune just got dumped. Can't you be a little sympathetic?" scolded Yang.

"He should forget her and move on. He'll feel better after a while," retorted Qrow.

"Is that what you told dad about mom?" asked Yang.

Ruby gasped a little, and Yang flinched as her words caught up to her. Raven was a sore topic for the family even now. The two looked to Qrow, who had gone still.

"…Yeah," admitted Qrow, quietly.

"Uncle Qrow, I…"

Qrow waved it off, and shook his head. Now that he thought about it, the scene was reminiscent to Tai after Raven walked out on him, and he, being a Branwen like his sister, told him straight to move on. It… didn't end too well between the two that day, and though Tai calmed down eventually, Summer gave her own look from her disappointed silver eyes to show that he had not helped at all.

 **Jaune heaved as he tried to compose himself.**

" **First, you wrap your arms around them tight… Just like this," he gave a tight embrace on the dummy, and the dam burst, "Just like…Pyrrha used to!"**

"No!" wailed Pyrrha, as she pulled Nora into her arms and cried into the ginger's shoulder.

"It's okay, Pyrrha," said Nora, as she patted Pyrrha's back.

Pyrrha's initial anger had given way to tears, and Nora felt more uncomfortable the more her shirt got wet.

'This is so weird. Pyrrha's the one who usually does this when I lose it,' thought Nora.

"Maybe we should have let her vent earlier," said Ren.

"Yep," said Nora, as she continued to pat her friend.

" **UGH!" everyone sighed in annoyance at Jaune's wailing.**

" **My heart," said Velvet, the only one sympathetic to Jaune.**

"That sounds like you," said Coco, "You've always been the nice one out of all of CFVY."

"That's not true. Yatsuhashi and Fox can be nice too," said Velvet.

Coco lowered her shades after a moment.

"What about me?" asked Coco.

"You're nice too…" added Velvet, a little too quickly.

Coco huffed and looked away.

" **Okay, Jaune," said Glynda who tried to console him.**

" **And then!" he rambled, "And then you hold them close! You hold them close, and never let go… otherwise they'll leave!"**

Glynda winced a little as she watched her counterpart try to make Jaune's counterpart feel better. Part of her thoughts drifted to past relations where _she_ was the one who ended it, and the old pain of guilt came back.

'Those old relationships didn't work out,' she reminded herself.

And they didn't.

It wasn't because the men she dated lacked good character. Rather, the relationships just weren't working out. They would start strong initially, however circumstances happened, then arguments strained them, until finally she ended them when it got too much. She knew that if wasn't working out, someone had to be mature enough to acknowledge it and end it cleanly before things got bitter. It was the right thing to do.

Her guilt came from the fact that though she aimed for clean breaks, breaking up was still an emotionally upsetting act for both parties, and she had to be as dispassionate as possible given the volatile nature of her semblance. Because of it, she gave off an image as cold and uncaring, and part of her wondered if the boys she left turned out like Jaune as a result of getting dumped by her. Over the years, she wondered if she could have done things differently, but life went on and so did they.

'At least Mr. Arc has someone to help him get through it, it seems…' she thought.

 **Jaune's embrace on the dummy tightened to the point where the dummy's head popped off, and rolled over to Yang.**

"Wow, kind of weird how in one universe Jaune can be a total badass who jumps out of a space station, and the next he's…" Sun couldn't finish, but instead just gestured to the screen.

"I suppose it simply shows just how a different lifestyle, or time period can shape an individual," said Ozpin.

"Pretty easy to see why she broke up with him though," said Qrow, "He's girlier than Nikos was in this."

A couple of girls frowned, though they didn't refute the statement either. As much as they felt sorry for him, they grudgingly had to acknowledge that he was not the manly, or even determined, individual he had been in previous viewings.

" **Glyn!" complained Yang as she held her hand up, "Weren't we supposed to be done with First-Aid camp yesterday?"**

 **Glynda tuned to Yang, annoyed.**

" **Yang, I am just one woman," said Glynda, "I can't be expected to take care of stupid children,** _ **and**_ **all you campers. Come on, Jaune, I know two people who can cheer you up."**

" **Ben and Jerry?" he asked with a sniff.**

" **Ben and Jerry," she confirmed.**

 **The two walked off to the kitchens to get ice cream.**

"So… this universe has its own version of Tan & Berry Ice Cream?" asked Winter.

"Fixing broken hearts for forty years," said Nora.

"I need some ice cream…" whimpered Pyrrha.

"Would you like some?" asked Archie, not quite sure how to handle an emotional Pyrrha.

"Yes, please. Tan & Berry brand sounds nice…"

 **As soon as the two counselors left the building, Sun got up.**

" **That's it: Depressed-Jaune is officially worse than Happy-Jaune," he announced.**

" **But, can you really blame the poor soul?" objected Velvet.**

" **YES! Jesus Christ!" ground out Sun, "It's been over a week, and he still loses his shit over every little thing! We've gotta get Pyrrha to take him back."**

" **But how?" asked Adam, innocently.**

"It's so weird seeing Adam so short, and young," said Ilia, "If I didn't know better, I'd say he's almost adorable."

"Almost," said Blake, who remembered what Adam believed before she left.

"So… Adam. He's like your old commander, or something?" asked Sun.

"…Kind of," said Blake.

" **Well, when my dad wanted to get my mom back, he sent her flowers, and then some chocolates, and then some lawyers…!" said Yang, before she got thoughtful, "And, then I think she got a new car?"**

Qrow, nearly choked on the idea presented by his niece's counterpart. What was really sad was that Tai probably would have done all that to get Raven back… and the outcome would have likely been the same. He looked to Ruby and Yang, and the reaction was pretty much expected.

Ruby frowned, angry at thought most likely, and as for Yang… the red eyes were a dead giveaway.

" **What about a cute puppy?" asked Ozpin, who took off his magician's hat to reveal…**

" _ **Mew"**_ **whined the feline in Ozpin's hand.**

" **Or, kitten?" the magician finished.**

"I don't seem to be very good at magic," grumbled Ozpin, who almost sounded insulted.

"Perhaps that's why you went to a Magic Camp," said Glynda.

"The facility is _clearly_ doing a good job," said Ozpin dryly.

" **Material possessions," scoffed Blake in a funny voice due to her braces, "A true romantic would recite a poem."**

"I have braces in this universe?" asked Blake in surprise.

Blake suddenly felt her teeth with her tongue to imagine the feeling.

"They aren't so bad… they're kind of adorable," said Sun.

Blake scowled at the notion, but the blush was bright on her face.

" **Or a song!" added Velvet.**

" **Oh, yeah!" said Adam with an enthusiastic smile, "Playing a song from a stereo held high above the head in a declaration of love!"**

" **He should just get in like, super, good shape," said Lia in a cool manner.**

"Wait, I thought I was a cool kid. Why do I sound like I smoked a joint?" asked Ilia in confusion.

"Clearly a poor, and amateurish attempt at being lofty," chuckled Winter.

Ilia huffed.

" **Or maybe the opposite?" suggested Ren, "I'm just saying, terminal illness really seems to bring people together in the movies."**

"There are some romantic comedies that follow that idea. They're all depressing though," said Ren.

" **My mom just got pregnant," threw in Roman.**

Everyone either blinked, gasped, or laughed at the blunt and outrageous suggestion presented by Roman.

" **Guys! We're not going to find the answer by listing a bunch of stupid ideas, or movie clichés," groused Sun.**

" **Well, what if we tried all of them?" suggested Ruby.**

 **Everyone grinned in delight as Sun thought about it without objecting.**

"This is going to end badly, isn't it?" asked Nora.

"Can't be any worse…" lamented Pyrrha as she finished a tub of Mixed Berry Whirlwind.

"Pyrrha… how did you… are you already done with one pint?" asked Ren.

Pyrrha shrugged, tossed the empty carton tub, and got another from a stack next to the couch.

"How did we not see that stack?" Ruby asked Weiss in a whisper.

"Leave it be, Ruby. We should give Pyrrha some space until she calms down," Weiss replied.

 **In a trailer park, Ruby knocked on a door with the address sign "69 Dirt Lane."**

Yang snorted at the address, and Qrow did his best not to chuckle.

"Honestly, Qrow, how old are you?" asked Glynda in a scolding manner.

" **What my dog does is his own business!" shouted Pyrrha as she burst through the door, but she looked down at Ruby, "What the…?"**

 **Ruby made a hush gesture before he presented a cue card**

 **JAUNE SENT US**

 **From behind Pyrrha's trailer, Sun, Ren, and Velvet looked at Ruby's success in getting Pyrrha to answer.**

" **Hit it!" said Sun.**

 **Adam pressed a massive looking boombox's play button, and held it above the head playing a song.**

Blake and Ilia gave blank stares at the sight of Adam. Their minds could not process the sight of him with a carefree smile, and helping someone get back together.

"Wait… am I the one that's singing?" asked Velvet, horrified at the music, if it could be called that.

"Oh yeah, this is going to suck," said Coco, who cringed at the thought of what she was about to witness.

 **PYRRHA…**

 **Ozpin entered the scene, and pulled the kitten out of the hat to present to Pyrrha.**

" **Arf-arf!"**

 **Ozpin looked in surprise and shock as the puppy he had intended to pull out of the hat initially had finally arrived. The kitten that was already in his hand, hissed and scratched about, getting Ozpin from time to time in an attempt to get him to let go. The puppy also barked angrily at the kitten, and wanted nothing more than to drive it away.**

Glynda, Qrow, and Ironwood looked to Ozpin who had the most neutral expression on his face, even for him.

 **ROSES ARE RED**

 **Ilia entered the scene along with Roman. Ilia held a bouquet of roses, without the typically wrappings provided by the florist. As a result she had to toss the thorny plants back and forth between her hands when the flowers dug into her skin. It wasn't work though, since the skin was broken and bleeding.**

Ilia covered her eyes.

 **FIRE TRUCKS ARE TOO**

 **Roman meanwhile, held a box of chocolates, which he proceeded to eat in an apathetic manner.**

"Those are for Pyrrha!" snapped Ruby angrily.

"Ice cream is better," said Pyrrha, who tossed tub number four… or was it five.

 **ENJOY THESE GIFTS FROM ME…**

 **AND MY REALLY GREAT CAMPERS!**

 **BUT MAINLY ME.**

 **DEFINITELY ME.**

" **Oh my God," gasped Pyrrha.**

"This is a trainwreck," said Yang, who followed Ilia's example, but made a gap with her fingers that she could open and close quickly.

" **Quick! Cue the rain!" said Velvet as she grabbed Ren by the collar, "Everything is sexier in the rain."**

"I don't think every-" said Velvet.

 **Ren made a signal to the top of the trailer where Yang and Blake were. Yang was holding the nozzle of a garden hose with a spray attachment, while Blake had squeezed the hose.**

"Wait, it already has a spray nozzle. Why do you need to tie up the hose?" asked Ruby.

"Does it matter at this point, Ruby?" asked Blake, "This whole… serenade has already failed."

"Yes," agreed Weiss, "Our Jaune, at his most awkward, could pull it off better."

 **Blake released the hose, and Yang pulled the trigger and made it rain.**

 **ALSO, I'M RIPPED NOW.**

Nora, Yang, and Sun involuntarily snorted at the idea.

 **The water made contact with Adam's boombox, and the device burst into flames.**

"I knew that was going to happen," said Yang.

"At least I don't have to hear myself singing anymore," said Velvet.

 **Adam tossed the boombox away in fear, and the cumbersome object landed on Ilia's head before it bounced off onto Ozpin's. As he looked up, Ozpin saw the kitten run away, and the puppy in the hat gave chase.**

"Ouch," winced Ilia, "But thank God that's over."

"Agreed," grumbled Ozpin.

 **Roman, after he ate the last of the chocolates, noticed the downed team members.**

 **BUT I DO HAVE CANCER.**

Everyone winced at the idea.

"That's a horrible notion, and isn't something to joke about," said Weiss.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

 **Roman walked over to Ilia and tapped her with his foot to make sure she was alive, while Adam got a shirt from a nearby clothesline and tried to put out the fire.**

"Is it over yet?" asked Ren, hopeful.

 **AND I'M PREGNANT.**

Almost everyone snorted, Yang and Nora burst out laughing, while Pyrrha opened tub number ten.

" **Oh, hell no! I don't what kind of hokey religion this is, but I'll tell you what I told those damn Mormons!" yelled Pyrrha before she donned a sweet expression, "I'm interested, but not ready to explore myself spiritually," Pyrrha frowned, "Now get the hell out of here!"**

 **Pyrrha slammed the door, and Velvet gasped dramatically to Sun and Ren.**

" **Our profession of love! How could it have failed?!" she cried.**

"For real?" said Sun flatly.

"A number of ways," said Yang.

"The song was horrible," said Velvet.

"Flowers were getting bloody," added Ilia.

"Chocolates were supposed to be given, not eaten," added Weiss, Ruby nodded.

"Magic tricks…" grumbled Ozpin.

"Rain does not always equal sexy," said Blake.

"The cue cards," listed Winter.

 **The kitten from Ozpin's hat leapt onto Ren's head as Velvet walked away, and Ren yelped when the dog barreled into him in pursuit. Sun just groaned at the whole mess.**

" **God damn it!" he growled.**

" **What are you losers doing here?"**

"Oh no…" said Weiss, who instantly recognized the voice.

 **Yang had a look of horror on her face, and Sun turned to see who had just spoken. There were three girls in uniforms similar to Glyn and Jaune's, except they were white shirts and pink shorts with sashes around their bodies that bore badges of accomplishment pinned to them. The one on the left was a girl with white hair with her arms crossed, followed by a brunette in a model-like pose with a caramel highlight on her loose bang, and the last was a ginger girl with a Cheshire grin on her face.**

" **Weiss, Coco, Nora with two R's," Sun listed off for each respective girl.**

" **As if anyone forgot," scoffed Weiss.**

"I sound… like an airhead," frowned Weiss.

"Nora with two R's?" questioned Nora, "Norra…!' Ugh, that sounds terrible."

"So what, we're like the prissy rich girls, or something?" questioned Coco, not at all amused at the idea.

" **Jaune's lady friend dumped him, so we're convincing her to take him back," explained Yang.**

 **The new girls looked at the chaos not too far from them: Roman performed the Heimlich Maneuver on a still conscious, unasphyxiated Ilia. Ruby was running from the scene in terror, along with Adam, who still held onto the burning shirt for some reason. Blake kept a level head and put out the fire from the boombox with the hose before it spread, but her face showed she was clearly upset with how the whole situation turned out. Ozpin was knocked down by the puppy that still chased after the fleeing kitten.**

" **Right…" drawled Weiss.**

Everyone's thought exactly.

 **As Ren got up from the earlier cat vs dog fight, Nora snuck up next to him with an affectionate pose.**

" **Hey, Renny…" she cooed, eyes fluttered flirtatiously.**

Nora blinked for a moment, and suddenly felt really uncomfortable. Her counterpart was clearly bolder than her, if such a blatant act of flirting came so easily to her. It just seemed off, and if the expression Ren's counterpart made was any indication, wrong.

Oh gods, Ren was watching too!

Her eyes glanced to Ren, who just stared with a blank expression. Nora turned to Pyrrha in the hopes for sanctuary, or a way to laugh off the impending doom. However, the Mistral champion was eating ice cream like it was going out of style, so no help there.

" **Oh God, the Flower Scouts," Ren said with fear, "What are you doing here?"**

" **Scouting out cookie sale locations, obviously," said Norra before she got Ren's arms, and stroked it with her finger.**

Nora visibly cringed while Ren just blinked.

" **Park people love trash food," said Weiss.**

" **It's like, their thing," added Coco.**

"Oh shit…" groaned Coco at the sound of her voice, "I thought it was over."

Velvet patted Coco's back, as the fashionista/huntress-in-training buried her face into her hands.

Weiss simply bore the horror she witnessed.

 **Weiss and Coco approached the group.**

" **So what's the holdup? Just make his ex take him back, and move on with your life," said Weiss.**

" **It ain't that easy, Princess," said Sun.**

" **Um, of course it is," chirped Nora as she was dragged to her friends in Ren's current escape.**

Nora dared to peek at Ren, who still just stared blankly at the screen. On the one hand, no news is good news, on the other, she wanted to know if he was getting weirded out by the sight of both of them in this too.

" **We're girls, we would know," said Coco.**

" **I mean…" began Ren as he finally forced Nora off of her, "they could provide us with a female perspective."**

" **I'm a female," said Yang who joined them.**

 **Sun and Ren looked to each other.**

" **Ehhh…" they both said making an "iffy" motion with their hands.**

"What? I can be girly!" shouted Yang, offended.

"Really…" drawled out Qrow.

"I could so pull it off!" declared Yang, "You think so, right Ruby?"

"Eep! Um… I mean, yeah! Yang could totally… girl it up," she finished weakly.

"Ruby!" Yang looked so shocked and betrayed.

" **It's easy handsome!" said Nora as she pushed Yang aside to continue stroking Ren's arm, "All you have to do is make her jealous."**

" **J-Jealous?" heaved Ren when Nora started to rub his chest.**

"Not like this…" whispered Nora.

"Hmm? Did you say something Nora?" asked Ren

"N-Nothing!" said Nora, nervously.

" **Yes!" said Nora as she pulled him down to make him face her, "If a girl sees a man is with another girl, we have to have him! My sister told me."**

"NO!" declared Glynda as she got to her feet in righteous indignation, "That is horrible advice to give to a girl, or any child for that matter."

"Besides, that never works," said Coco.

"Neither in fiction, nor in real life," added Velvet.

" **Hmm… okay," said Sun, "Weiss, Coco, Nora…"**

" **Spelled with two R's," cut in Nora.**

 **Sun groaned.**

" **I can't believe I'm saying this, but will you help us?" asked Sun.**

" **Of course," began Weiss sweetly before a demanding scowl donned her face, "For a pre-order of five hundred cookies."**

" **Deal," said Sun who handed her a credit card of Jaune's that he swiped.**

"I wonder, how expensive are girl scout cookies?" asked Ozpin, "I hear they charge quite a bit."

"Five Lien, by my last purchase," said Ironwood.

Everyone looked to him, surprised.

"You buy girl scout cookies?" asked Weiss.

"It helps develop business skills for young girls, and you'd be surprised how helpful they are on long nights with paperwork involved," said Ironwood.

"Cookies would go great with this ice cream…" muttered Pyrrha.

"How many have you had now?" asked Ren.

"I stopped counting after ten…"

"Okay, I think you've had enough," said Nora.

"You don't get to tell me when I've had enough!" yelped Pyrrha as Nora attempted to wrest the tub of Cherry-Changa away from the Mistral champion.

"That girl's got a problem," said Qrow before he took a swig from his flask.

Winter and Glynda fixed him with deadpan stares.

" **Step One: We reserve two tables at the hella' nicest restaurant in town," began Weiss.**

 **A dive bar called Still The Only Bar was in view.**

"Talk about good advertising," said Qrow.

"Hella' nicest…?' I sound like a ditz," growled Weiss.

"I think it suits you," sniped Ilia.

Weiss shot the "friend of Blake" a cold glare.

" **Step Two: We invite Jaune and Pyrrha to the same restaurant but seat them in different tables, making sure neither of them sees each other until…" drawled Coco.**

"This is not going to work," reminded Coco.

" **Step Three: A beautiful woman suddenly approaches Jaune, and the two hit it off right away. Pyrrha sees this, gets mad jeally, and demands to take him back," finished Nora.**

 **Sun sipped his soda in the corner booth watching the separated couple, before he looked to the Flower Scouts.**

" **I gotta hand it to you ladies, I think this might actually work," said Sun.**

 **At that moment, the waitress, a red-headed woman with stunning green eyes, a khaki waitress uniform with a white apron, and a name tag that read "Penny" approached.**

"Penny!" declared Ruby, "Look guys it's Penny!"

"Wow… look at her. She's cute!" said Yang.

"She seems more… alive," suggested Blake.

Ruby, Ironwood, and Winter tensed at Blake's suggestion. Were they onto the fact that Penny was actually an android?

" **Y'all little darlings ready to order?" asked Penny.**

" **No!" snapped the three Flower Scouts.**

" **Actually, can I get a refill of water?" asked Coco pleasantly after a moment.**

"No, vibrant," Weiss corrected Blake, "First impressions, her personality doesn't seem quite so flat."

"What are you guys talking about?" yelped Ruby, "Penny has loads of personality!"

 **Penny walked away with the glass.**

" **So, where are you going to find Jaune's beautiful woman?" asked Sun as he watched Penny walk away.**

" **She's already here," said Weiss.**

 **Sun stared when he saw Weiss in a long trench coat to conceal her two cohorts holding her up.**

Nora, Coco, and Weiss groaned.

"It's official. Things got even worse," said Coco.

"Oh, gods, I'm the head…" said Weiss, "That means I… _I_ … have to…"

"Flirt with Jaune?" finished Ruby.

"Again," added Blake.

Weiss whined, and didn't care about Winter's quirked eyebrow.

" **How do I look?" asked Weiss.**

" **Not a day over eleven," said Sun.**

" **OMG, thank you. I moisturized," said Weiss.**

Weiss buried her face into her hands.

" **We read tons of Cosmo Girl to prep for this too," said Nora.**

" **Nora, hush! Perk 'em up.**

Weiss dared to peek, and to her horror saw her new… assets, and once again buried her face into hands, and rested them onto her knees.

" **Hey there, sexy," said Weiss to Jaune, "See anything you like?"**

Weiss let out a silent scream.

 **Jaune cringed a little.**

" **Um… do I know you?" asked Jaune.**

" **No," said Weiss… seductively? "Do you want to – hack!"**

 **Weiss had tipped over her friend's shoulders, a straw jammed into her throat. She coughed it out, and tried to play it cool.**

" **Plenty more where that came from," Weiss heaved.**

"Wow… first your male counterpart trying to pick up Jaune's female counterpart, now this? You really need to work on your flirts, Weiss," said Yang who was trying really hard not to laugh.

"Cut off the viewing, please Archie!" begged Weiss.

"I can't," said Archie.

"Why not? You did it for that potential future we saw!"

"Well… um… Oh look there's more to see!"

Weiss fumed.

" **Ren, I've never seduced a man before, but are they doing it right?" asked Sun.**

"No," said everyone, even Ruby.

" **We've got a bigger problem," said Ren as he pointed to Yang and Pyrrha, "Pyrrha hasn't looked up from her menu since she sat down here. She's missing everything."**

"Oh she's missing everything alright," muttered Pyrrha bitterly, "Nice dinners, walks through the park, movie nights… All with the nicest guy in all of Remnant…"

" **Hmm, do I want soup? Oh, or do I want salad?" asked Pyrrha.**

"Maybe Jaune could help. Oh, wait. He can't because _you_ broke up with him," scowled Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha…" groaned Ruby, of all people.

" **What do we do?" asked Ren.**

" **I don't know," growled Sun, "get out there, and cause a scene, or something."**

 **Sun pushed Ren into Penny.**

" **Oh, look at you little man," she cooed as she looked at him with a smile on her face, "Do you want to be a waiter when you grow up?"**

" **Oh, God, no," cringed Ren at the thought.**

" **Oh, you are just the cutest," said the waitress as she pinched his cheek.**

 **Nora peeked through the coat.**

" **WHAT!?"**

Nora's heart stilled, and almost everyone gasped at what they saw.

" **Um… did your stomach just talk?" asked Jaune.**

" **Um… I'm hungry… Hungry for a D!" said Weiss.**

Yang burst out laughing.

"If only I had my scroll. That would have made Jaune's day for sure!" guffawed Yang.

"If you had your scroll, I would smash it before you had the chance!" said Weiss.

All jokes ended with what came next.

 **Nora burst out of the coat, and onto the table, which knocked Weiss and Coco to the floor along with Jaune, who fell back in surprise.**

" **Um, Sun, I think I caused a scene," said Ren.**

" **Back you the FUCK off my man, you skank!" shrieked Nora.**

 **Nora grabbed a fork, and flung it at Penny. Penny blocked it with her drink tray, and the utensil bounced off and ricocheted into Nora's eye.**

"Oh no!" gasped Nora.

Creepy, or not, her counterpart just lost an eye!

"Um…" began Ren with a stare.

" **UUUAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" howled Norra in pain.**

" **Holy, fucking shit!" yelped Ren.**

" **Oh my goodness, are you ok?" asked the waitress as she approached to help.**

" **I'LL KILL YOU SLUT!" shrieked Nora, who began to throttle Penny.**

"Penny, no!" cried out Ruby.

"Bad creepy counterpart!" cried out Nora.

" **Whoah! Whoa! Break it up," said Pyrrha as she moved to separate the two, "Don't make me use my cross-fit on you."**

" **Pyrrha?!" gasped Jaune.**

" **Jaune?!" responded Pyrrha in kind.**

Pyrrha stopped her moping for a moment, and snapped to the screen.

" **Nora, seriously, what the fuck?!" shouted Weiss.**

" **You got blood on my boots!" added Coco.**

"My eye is bleeding, and that's what you care about?" asked Nora.

"Maybe her, but not me. I can prioritize," objected Coco.

" **The Flower Scouts?!" yelped Jaune.**

 **He looked at something out the corner of his eyes.**

" **Sun!" he yelled.**

" **Damnit," muttered Sun.**

" **Did you three have something to do with this?" asked Jaune with a disappointed face.**

" **No." "Yes," said Ren and Yang respectively.**

Ren sighed.

"Oops," giggled Yang.

 **Sun sighed.**

" **We were trying to get you and Pyrrha back together so you'd quit sobbing all day, and go back to your usual, somehow less annoying, self," said Sun.**

" **Back… together…?" asked Jaune as he looked to Pyrrha and the scouts before he sighed himself, "Oh kids, I… I'm sorry I haven't really been myself lately, but that's no reason to try to force something that just isn't going to happen."**

" **What?" everyone said in surprise.**

" **Seriously, this really fucking hurts," muttered Nora.**

"Yeah, what?" said Ilia.

"What do you mean, not going to happen!" objected Weiss, "We had to sit through all that, and he's not even going to try?"

Pyrrha didn't listen though, and watched.

" **But… isn't that what you want?" asked Yang.**

" **Of course I do, but that's not how relationships work," said Jaune, "We don't get to choose how or who we fall for, and we don't get to choose if or when those feelings go away."**

"Sure you can. It's just -mmph," said Qrow.

Glynda silenced Qrow with her semblance, with her fingers standing in for her riding crop.

 **Two old guys listened with interest.**

" **But if they do, and you find yourself alone, that shouldn't take away the good times you did have together, and that shouldn't take away the things you learned about yourself," continued Jaune.**

 **Pyrrha smiled at Jaune's words, and then Ren, Yang, the Flower Scouts, sans Nora, and a smitten Penny looked absolutely touched at just how nice a guy Jaune was.**

Almost all the girls were going along with it too.

"That's so sweet," said Velvet.

"Yeah, sweet…" said Coco.

"Ilia… are you crying?" asked Blake.

"N-No!" she sniffed and looked away, "A hornet flew in my eye."

"But… there are no-" began Sun.

"A hornet flew in my eye," said Ilia, more firmly.

" **It's okay to be sad about what you lost, but eventually you should be thankful for what you gained from the experience," he added before he rubbed the back of his head, "And maybe, with enough time and enough understanding, you'll find that you're not alone. And that you traded a romance for a friend. A friend who still wants the best for you, even if they had to hurt you by saying: they weren't the best for you, nor you for them."**

Glynda was touched by what Jaune said, and surprised and impressed by the maturity and wisdom he displayed.

"I must admit… it was well said," said Weiss.

"Agreed," said Winter.

Pyrrha was speechless after hearing Jaune's words.

Jaune was the first person in a really long time to see her as herself, and not the "Invincible Girl." Not to mention he was funny, kind, reckless for sure, but ultimately a brave person eager to fulfill his dreams. She liked Jaune, and wanted so badly to confess to him her feelings. However, she was held back by her fear that Jaune wouldn't find her pretty or ladylike like Weiss. An even greater fear though was that her confession could make things awkward for JNPR if she was rejected, and it could break the team apart.

Hearing Jaune's monologue though gave her hope. Hope that even if she confessed and he said "No," or if they tried and it didn't work out, Jaune was still Jaune. He was her friend first and foremost. He would always want her to be happy, or, at the very least, be free to find her happiness.

'When I get back, I'll confess to him,' thought Pyrrha as she declared a new goal for when she got back home.

" **Oh Jaune, your words have touched me," said Pyrrha, a hand over her heart, "In a place your hands never could."**

"Wait, what?" gasped Pyrrha as her hopeful thoughts suddenly stopped.

Before she, or anyone could say anything, a noise from the viewing cut them off.

 **Clap, clap…**

 **Everyone turned to see a man in a red suit, blue hair, tan skin, and with a wry smile.**

"Neptune? What's he doing here?" asked Weiss.

"This is the boy in your letters who is currently courting you?" asked Winter with a thoroughly unimpressed expression.

" **Wow, just wow, man," the mystery man began, "That was beautiful."**

" **Um, thank you?" said Jaune, confused.**

" **No, thank you," the man said in reply with a playful pat on the back, "Gosh, I can really see why you and Pyrrha were together. She has excellent taste in men."**

 **He put an arm around Pyrrha, and gestured to Jaune again.**

" **And you seem like a real stand-up guy," he finished.**

"Oh…" said Yang.

"What?" asked Ruby.

" **I'm sorry. Who are you?" asked Jaune.**

" **Oh, where are my manners," he said apologetically, "I'm Neptune. Pyrrha's new lover."**

Everyone but the grownups just stared at the screen.

"Yeah… Neptune's the new boyfriend," answered Yang.

" **Oh…" said Jaune a little dejected…**

"Even in this universe, Neptune undercuts Jaune," said Blake.

"What do you mean?" asked Weiss.

"Neptune used the same pickup line Jaune did, but you responded," answered Blake, "I might have been tired that day, but I was still awake."

"Well, of course! Neptune is different from Jaune," said Weiss, "He's suave and-"

 **POW!**

Everyone stared at what just happened.

 **Neptune fell hard on his back, as Jaune's fist finished its swing where Neptunes face used to be. Everyone was shocked by what happened, and the furious expression on Jaune's face, especially Sun and Pyrrha.**

"Finally! Some action," laughed Qrow.

"Did Jaune just punch Neptune?" asked Yang.

"He did," said Ruby.

"Neptune, no!" cried out Weiss.

"Come on Jaune, reclaim your woman!" declared Nora.

"About time the guy manned up," chuckled Qrow.

" **Oh, my God!" yelped Pyrrha.**

" **Jaune?!" gasped Yang.**

" **What happened to friendship and understanding?!" asked Sun, a little scared at how angry Jaune was.**

" **Well…" sighed Jaune as he shook his hand to get rid of the soreness, "I did say healing takes time."**

 **Jaune noticed Neptune try to get up, and Jaune grabbed one of the dining chairs and swung it over his head to strike at his target.**

" **RaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"**

" **Oh, shit!" cried out Sun…**

 **The screen faded, and the lights went up.**

"Well, the serenade, and flirting aside, that was pretty good," said Coco.

"It had its moments," said Yang, still laughing at the ending.

"Especially the monologue," added Velvet.

"He punched Neptune!" objected Weiss.

"Yeah, that was kind of a dick-move," said Sun.

"I was really bad…" grumbled Nora, "Sorry, Ren."

"Don't worry," said Ren, "I know that wasn't you. You're very respectful of my boundaries, and I know you won't be so over the top as to endanger others. You're a good person and a true friend, Nora."

Nora blushed, and rubbed the back of her head as she tried to laugh off the funny feeling she got in her chest.

"Still, Pyrrha and Neptune…" said Blake.

"I'm going to be sick…" groaned Pyrrha.

"Oh, come on Pyrrha. Neptune's not that bad," said Yang.

"No… I mean, I literally feel sick. I think my twenty tubs of ice cream are coming back," said Pyrrha.

Ren and Nora quickly ushered her to the nearest bathroom from the rooms provided by Archie.

"Well… that was a thing," said Yang.

 **A/N:**

 **Weep shippers, WEEP! Laugh shippers, LAUGH!**

 ***Maniacal Laugh***

 **Camp Camp, with the episode "Bonjour Bonquisha," which was probably RT's way of giving a shout out to shippers.**

 **I might have ticked off Arkos fans with chapter, but really, who else could I use for the character Bonquisha? Bonquisha fits some of the "Amazon" anime tropes I've seen in the past in shows like** _ **Queen's Blade**_ **. Making Pyrrha the amazon was a no brainer.**

 **Anyway, let me know if I got the comedy, and the occasional moral/touching moments for this right.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes: **

**Pyhhra's behavior was inspired by mine in my early writing days as a hardcore shipfic writer… No ice cream for me; lots of ranting though.**

 **The opening with Glynda and Jaune was not in the actual episode. It was just a hook to give the audience an idea of what the setting is.**

 **The casting for this took weeks of planning that took place in between writing the previous chapters. For some of my casting options, I roles selected based off of obvious things like Jaune as David, or Sun as Max due to voice actors. However, some characters were a little tricky. For instance, Nerf, the bully in Camp Camp, was originally going to be played by Cardin, and I didn't know who would play Ered for the longest time I was planning this chapter. However, I picked Ilia to be Ered because Ilia was something of a sleeper hit in RWBY, at least to me, and I find her to be an interesting character. As for Roman, I picked him over Cardin because I think Roman is cooler. Like I said before in the opening notes, it's all subjective.**

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: Gintama**


	11. Gintama

**Wow. I thought I had to worry about the Arkos shippers last chapter, but nope. It was the non-Arkos shippers that went crazy over things, specifically a few people over one particular sentence, or some of the character interactions.**

 **Oh, to be a hardcore shipper… I remember those days.**

 **Well, I guess it's true what they say: You can't please everyone.**

 **As regrettable as it was some people are upset, I won't let it deter me. This story will go on, now with my first, well technically second, request. I say first though because this chapter is a specific request from one the reviewers.**

 **This chapter is going to be interesting. I recently started watching Gintama a few weeks ago, because a reviewer of mine gave me quite the pitch for it. I'm really digging the show. It's like a mix between** _ **Deadpool**_ **and** _ **Rurouni**_ _ **Kenshin**_ **. However, here's the interesting part. I'm still in season 1, and when I asked if there was a particular episode this reviewer had in mind, well, let's just say I'm a couple seasons behind… it was episode 211. I watched it anyway, and 210, since 211 was clearly the middle of a story arc. I liked it so much that it's motivated me to watch the show more now so I can catch up.**

 **However, this is divided into two parts because the total was a whopping 54 pages. I was originally going to do just 211, but the heap explications that it had as a result was less than stellar, so I threw in episode 210 to give the backdrop, and to even things out more easily. More on adding 210 to this request will be in the Misc. Notes at the end.**

 **For you hardcore Gintama fans, please forgive any errors, or any out of context explications that may come up in this chapter. I did read some wikis, but only enough to know who is who, and what episode they first appeared.**

 **I hope there aren't any errors, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. That way I can be a little more comfortable doing more requests, or asking other authors if I can write reactions to some of the Jaune fanfics they wrote.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Gintama**_ **is the work of Hideaki Sorachi, and distributed by Shueisha and Weekly Shonen Jump.**

Chapter 11 – Gintama, Part 1 (ENDDRAGON369's Request)

An hour after the previous viewing, Pyrrha returned dressed in the Beacon uniform when she got back from the bathroom. It was clear that the ice cream she ate earlier must have made quite the mess, if Ren returning ten minutes ago asking Archie for help cleaning up while Pyrrha bathed was any indication.

Pyrrha seemed remorseful and she took a deep breath.

"I'm really sorry with how I acted everyone. It was unbecoming of me," said Pyrrha.

"It's fine," said Yang, "Honestly, it was actually pretty cool to see you so…"

"Bitchy?" suggested Qrow, which got Pyrrha to wince.

"Varied in your demeanor…" offered Weiss.

"Normal," cut in Yang, "You're always so prim and proper. It's cool to see you freak out of stuff once in a while."

"Please avoid such displays in the future though, Miss Nikos," cut in Glynda, "I noticed in combat class that your semblance can also be tied to your emotions like mine."

"Rest assured, I will prevent any major damage should such an outburst occur," said Archie.

"Didn't seem to work a while ago," mumbled Qrow as he rubbed his jaw from Glynda's semblance earlier.

"He said _major_ damage, Qrow," scoffed Glynda.

"That bad?" asked Pyrrha.

"Well…" began Ruby.

"Twenty tubs of ice cream," reminded Ren.

"Ren!" scolded Nora.

"I'm sorry," said Pyrrha.

"Don't worry, we forgive you. Just remember what we're watching," said Ren.

"Alternate universes, I know," said Pyrrha sheepishly.

"So, what's next?" asked Sun, excited.

"Hmm… let's find out," said Archie as he popped in another volume into the VHS, and lights went dark…

…

 **In Vale's Kabuki district, Jaune Arc walked through the streets wearing his black Pumpkin Pete hoodie, a pair of wrinkled denim jeans, and had a wooden longsword strapped to his belt. He had a bored expression on his face as he went home from the sweet shop pigging out on Mantle cheesecake on his Saturday night. He had a huge sugar craving, and chose to hold back until the end of the week to indulge. Why the end of the week, and not when the craving occured? Because if he had his sugar Saturday, the next day would be Sunday, a brand new week.**

 **Back to back, week to week sugar binges, all in the span of forty eight hours! And the doctor wouldn't rail on him because he was technically following the rules of the diet forced upon him.**

' **Oh Jaune you magnificent strategist. Your wisdom knows no bounds,' he mentally congratulated himself with a brief smile as he moved through the crowds of the Kabuki District with ease.**

Pyrrha and Ren just stared, deadpan.

"Well, he's not wrong. It's a technicality, but a fact also," giggled Velvet.

"Why didn't I think of that?" cried out Ruby, "I found a loophole to dad's cookie rules!"

'And Ren's pancake rule!' thought Nora.

"No," said Yang and Ren, the latter recognized Nora's scheming expression.

 **Despite his bored expression, a part of Jaune never ceased to be amazed with the changes the city of Vale went through in the course of just a couple of years. He highly doubted the royal family anticipated such a drastic change to society.**

"The royal family is still in power? Did these events take place before the Great War, or after," asked Glynda.

"There was no governmental shift after the war in this universe," answered Archie.

"A Vale still ruled by the royal family… That would make for a fascinating series of speculation," said Glynda.

"Indeed. Bart would certainly enjoy the exploration of such a possibility," said Ozpin.

 **Then again, the alien invasion might have had something to do with the changes that occured.**

"Wait! Aliens? You mean, like that one universe where those Covenant guys first showed up?" asked Ruby.

Ren flinched a little at the memory as a couple of people gasped. Memories of the brutality of the ground battle came back to everyone's mind, and everyone leaned in, curious to Remnant's fate.

 **Jaune was in his mid-teens when the Amanto invaded Remnant. He and his friends joined the fight with only basic huntsmen training in what would become the Remnant War. It was lost cause in the end though. Whole armies of aliens quickly descended upon the planet, and while the kingdoms and their huntsmen had initially resisted, the technological superiority of the alien invaders cowed the kingdoms into submission.**

"So we could be conquered," sighed Ozpin, as he remembered James' comments from that universe with the Covenant.

"It appears so…" growled Ironwood.

 **However, it was the ultimately the Amanto's eradication of the creatures of Grimm that allowed him and the other citizens of Remnant grudgingly accept the rule of the extraterrestrial invaders.**

"They killed the Grimm?!" gasped Coco.

"All of them?!" balked Glynda.

Ozpin was perhaps the quietest, and the most shocked. The Grimm, gone? What of Salem? What of himself? He had been cursed with a form of immortality until Salem was bested. Did he succeed, or did these Amanto kill her as well?

 **Jaune shook his head to get his mind off the old memories, and went on his merry way through the Kabuki District.**

 **The Kabuki District of Vale was formed by Mistral refugees that fled their kingdom during the initial invasions of the Amanto, and the aftermath of the Remnant War. Like Old Mistral, the district was beautiful, and vibrant. A colorful display of artistry and beauty that was one of the most vibrant parts of the city in the daytime. It was great place to have fun at night also, provided you didn't step on the wrong person's toes. For like much of Old Mistral, there was a powerful criminal underworld that simmered just beneath the surface.**

"Mistral must have been hit pretty hard during the conflict," commented Ren.

"I hope my family in this universe made it out okay," said Pyrrha.

 **In the crowd, Jaune noticed a person head in his direction with a straw hat and a navy blue traveler's cloak.**

' **A cosplayer…? Is there a convention or something?' he thought lazily.**

 **He shrugged, and continued down his path to home when he walked past the weirdo.**

' **Maybe I'll take the scenic route home,' he thought, 'If I get home later, I won't have to deal with that crazy cat lady, and her damn rent rambling."**

 **Click…**

 **Jaune grabbed his wooden sword, and swung it out in the direction of a shift in the wind.**

 **WHEEEeee… thunk.**

 **A large chunk of a razor sharp sword had landed in the asphalt behind him, and Jaune's lazy face made way for a calculating expression.**

"Whoa, did someone attack him?" asked Nora.

"Look at him now though. One minute he looks bored, the next he's all business," said Coco.

"It seems that his previous expression was a façade," said Winter.

"He would have to be very experienced to pull a maneuver like that without looking," added Ren.

Everyone leaned forward with interest.

" **Fufufu… Not bad," said a sweet, girly voice, "I was going to decorate your blonde mop with some bright red flowers. Your reputation precedes you. The strongest man in the Kabuki district… Mr. Jaune Arc…"**

"So Jaune's the strongest fighter in town? That's cool!" said Ruby, excited.

"You go, fearless leader!" said Nora.

 **Jaune turned to see who was picking a fight, and saw a large, straw hat spin rapidly toward his face. He quickly deflected the hat with his wooden longsword.**

" **Who are you…?" he shouted, but stopped when he saw the girl on her hands and knees.**

 **She was in a submissive bow before him, which got a few onlookers to stare at the scene around him.**

" **I didn't realize how strong you were, Bro!"**

 **Jaune got a good look at the girl bowing to him. She was young, and a faunus, if the cow ears were any indicators. She also had short brown hair, save for a blood red streak that ran down the middle and pulled into a ponytail**

" **Could you take me in as one of your underlings?" she requested as she raised her head up with her hands clasped together and innocent pink eyes that stared at him like a puppy.**

 **Underling?" Jaune questioned, confused.**

"Underling, like a henchman?" asked Ruby.

"So, he's in a gang?" said Yang.

"A gang? How did you come to that conclusion?" asked Weiss

"There's a guy named Junior in the shady side of Vale I went to with Neptune the other week, remember? Most of the guys who work for him are called 'goons,' so I figured maybe Jaune was in a gang here," shrugged Yang.

Pyrrha was worried at the prospect.

 **The next day…**

 **Young Ozpin Goodwitch, who had silver hair, wore a green dress shirt and black slacks, made his way to work, and tried to focus before he got there. Given what tended to happen on his work days, it was already going to be crazy. However, he hoped there was a normal job today so that he could earn enough to help his older sister Glynda keep the old family estate and combat school alive, stress free.**

"Ozpin Goodwitch?!" gasped Glynda.

"You two are related in this universe?" asked Ironwood.

"So it would seem…" said Ozpin distantly as he stared. His counterpart was related to Glynda?

 **Without the Grimm to fight, most huntsmen, like the Goodwitch family, were at a loss of what to do with their lives and training after the Amanto eradicated the creatures. Some gave up their weapons to take up trades or office work. Some found ways to keep fighting, either as military commanders, bodyguards, police officers, or if they were truly desperate, the criminal underworld.**

"Are huntsman so desperate in this age that they turn to crime?" asked Winter.

"Fighting Grimm is all we know, Ice Queen. Now that I think about it, without 'em, what use are we? I mean anyone can train someone up to do cloak-and-dagger stuff," said Qrow.

"This universe does make one think about what we can do _after_ the time of the Grimm," mused Glynda.

Qrow wasn't wrong. While a huntsman, or huntress could do frontline fighting in a war, or clandestine work in peacetime, most of their training was still primarily focused on killing the Creatures of Grimm. A soldier from James' army could easily fill in the two former roles.

 **In Ozpin's case though, he fell into a mix between the fighting and trades for the most part. He worked at Odd Jobs Jaune, so he was exposed to a variety of work: legitimate and kind-of-sort-of legitimate.**

"Jaune runs a business in this universe?" asked Weiss, curious.

"Odd jobs… I can see that," said Ren, "He does have an unexpectedly eclectic skillset back home."

"He does?" asked Coco.

"Sure!" chirped Nora, "He cooks, cleans, great with fixing a couple things around the dorm. Ooh, and he helped this old lady in town with her moving the other week, and used the money she gave him to treat us to pancakes!"

As the other student nodded along, Winter pondered something…

'He seems like a dependable individual… I wonder what it would have been like if, no-' she shook her head, 'It's water under the bridge. A bridge father's greed prevented him from crossing.'

 **Still, as much as he wished, he doubted today would be normal. A normal day was always crazy to begin with, but Ozpin felt a little trepidation today in particular. He had a dream last night, one that always came before weird stuff happened. He dreamt of the now extinct Grimm, and a mysterious, lady in black with blood red eyes. He had no idea what it was about though, but what he did know was that every time he had it, something bad would happen.**

Ozpin blinked. His counterpart had no recollection of Salem? Of anything?

"Creepy lady in black… like in that potential future we saw?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin flinched. He mentioned he would bring this up if another potential future occurred, but to actually go about doing that was a lot harder than he anticipated. Besides, his mind was wild with curiosity. The body of his counterpart was a younger version of his current one. He recalled the soul of the true owner of his current body went by the name of Oswald Greene. The age of their soul's forced cohabitation was around the right time, by the looks of his counterpart, but why did he have the name Ozpin Goodwitch?

"Whoa… what's going on?" asked Qrow.

The adults in the room except for Winter noticed something. The colors went dull, and the young students around them, along with Winter and Ilia, were completely still.

"I see you have questions," said Archie.

Ozpin turned to him, and saw the archivist's hand glowed with a rune representing time. Ozpin realized Archie had frozen time to give Ozpin a chance to ask.

"What became of Salem?" asked Ozpin.

"I am aware of your punishment," said Archie, "In this universe, an incarnation previous to your current body managed to best Salem at long last. The Grimm continued to exist. However, without Salem to coordinate, their threat was not what it could have been, and continues to be in your universe."

Ozpin's breath hitched.

"As a reward for your victory, your curse was lifted, and the gods allowed you to reincarnate one last time in a time without Grimm, free of your burden and of worry. Your reward was a normal life, with just enough magic to influence your parents naming you. You just so happened to be born into the Goodwitch family.

"How did I best Salem?" asked Ozpin, almost desperate.

"I am not your archivist. I only know this information because of the context it provides for Jaune's universe," said Archie solemnly.

Ozpin's face fell.

"Look on the bright side Oz. You did it," said Qrow.

"You were able to beat her in one universe. You can do it again," said Ironwood.

"That's right, sir. We _can_ do it," said Glynda.

Ozpin nodded, a hopeful expression on his face, and Archie reset the flow of time. Everyone else was unaware of the conversation that occurred.

 **Ozpin saw his destination in view: a two-story building with two signs. The first floor read "Blake's Snacks", and the second floor's sign read "Odd Jobs Jaune." It was built in an old mistral fashion which, like all traditional architecture, hardly existed in Remnant these day due to the rapid modernization of the kingdoms. It almost served as a time capsule for life in Old Remnant.**

"Blake runs a bar it looks like," said Sun.

"Me, a barkeep?" asked Blake, "I bet my parents would be proud."

"A successful business run by a faunus? Sounds pretty sweet to me," said Yang.

"Oh… Well when you put it like that," said Blake with a light blush.

"Totally! Best part, your best friend, and totally supportive partner, would be your best patron… with possible discounts?" asked Yang sweetly.

Blake frowned.

"And you ruined the moment," said Blake.

"Boo! You're no fun," frowned Yang playfully.

" **It's freezing," Ozpin shuddered as he climbed the stairs to an office space above Blake's Snack Bar, "It's always so cold in the morning."**

 **As he approached the door, he noticed a cow faunus girl, if the ears were anything to go by, sleeping by the door. She had short brown hair with a red streak pulled into a ponytail, and was bundled up in a travelers's cloak for warmth. She snored softly, and soundly, and the frozen snot bubble made the whole image seem rather cute. However, in this part of town…**

' **Who is she? A drunk?' he thought before he squatted to her, "Um, excuse me. You'll catch a cold if you sleep here."**

 **No response.**

" **Excuse me. You're snot has frozen," he prodded, and the snot bubble fell off her nose.**

 **It made a soft sound on impact with the ground, and Ozpin fell back in shock as the girl stood up quickly with a sword a sword and scabbard in hand.**

" **Yikes, it's a raid!" shouted the girl as she rammed the scabbard into the wall.**

" **WAAAH!" screamed Ozpin as he landed. When he stared up, he saw the girl at full height with the hilt of the blade in hand, "Wha-Wha-Wha—What are you doing?!"**

" **Which gang are you from?" the girl demanded, "If you try to lay a finger on my Bro, I'll make some bright red flowers."**

"That escalated quickly," commented Ozpin.

"I thought Jaune wasn't in a gang," said Ruby.

"He isn't," said Weiss, who reassessed the facts that she knew.

"Why is she calling Jaune, 'Bro?" asked Nora.

"It's a term of deference," commented Sun, "The Mistral Yakuza likes to use it."

"How do you know?" asked Ilia.

"I live in Mistral, and've seen a lot of crime dramas," said Sun proudly.

 **Gone was her cloak, and she revealed herself in a white dress shirt with black dress pants with pink eyes with a sweet smile.**

"Huh…" began Yang, "She kind of looks like that girl who works for Torchwick."

"The one from the train?" asked Weiss.

"It's not her though," said Yang, "But I can't shake this feeling…."

 **She drew her sword out, and calmly stalked toward Ozpin.**

" **What are you babbling about?!" shouted Ozpin, and freaked out when she lunged, "Wait a moment here. WAIT!"**

"I don't seem to be a much of a huntsman in this universe," said Ozpin.

"You said it yourself. Different times and lifestyles lead to different results," commented Ironwood, worried for his friend.

"Without Grimm to fight, maybe huntsmen don't train as hard," said Ilia.

"That's actually a possibility," said Glynda, concerned for both her "brother" and the future generations of hunters in this universe.

 **The girl was about to deliver an overhead strike when suddenly, the door burst open dislodged from the sliding rail, and knocked the two people over. Stuck in the sliding door's rice paper screens, the two stared as a tired ginger girl stepped out.**

 **The ginger girl was Nora, from the Yato race of aliens. Peerless warriors regarded as the finest fighters in the galaxy. Nora had the strength to match their reputation, and was often Jaune's muscle when the Odd Jobs team needed a literal "oomph" in their work.**

"I'm an alien in this one? From a planet of intergalactic warriors? And I look like myself? Cool!" cheered Nora.

"They conquered Remnant," pointed out Ren.

"Well… that's bad, but at least I'm working for the peoples of Remnant with our fearless leader," said Nora.

"True… Not like those Covenant that worked to eradicate Humanity," added Pyrrha in support.

 **Nora was also a glutton with an unhealthy love for pancakes, and burned through Jaune's earnings/rent money almost as quickly as they got it.**

Nora's cheeks puffed in irritation.

"Aww, they ruined my awesome backstory," groaned Nora.

Pyrrha and Ren chuckled before Pyrrha patted her on the back.

 **Right now though, Ozpin stared at Nora as though she were an angel, and silently thanked whatever god had delivered her with their divine intervention.**

" **It's too early for this noise," yawned Nora.**

 **Ozpin sighed.**

' **Yep, it's going to be a crazy day,' he thought.**

"Well. This will certainly be an interesting universe," said the headmaster of Beacon.

"Seems pretty funny so far," commented Coco.

"I know, though I wonder what life for a huntsman without Grimm is like," said Velvet.

"Me too," added Ruby.

 **As the sun finally rose over the horizon, the mysterious girl introduced herself during breakfast.**

" **I'm the newest member of the Odd Jobs gang, Sunday! But you can call me Sunny. It's an honor to meet you Big Boss, Blake," she said in a Mistral Yakuza greeting: a wide stance, with an open palm presented as the person bowed.**

"Big boss Blake?" asked Sun, "Wait, _you're_ the gangster?"

"ME?!" gasped Blake.

 **Blake Belladonna simply stared. She had a withered complexion, a face full of wrinkles. Her black hair was done into a chignon hair style, with her cat ears standing proudly. Blake wore a bold shade of red lipstick, and had twilight-colored eyeshadow to go with her black kimono, with an amber and violet obi.**

"You're also old," said Yang.

"How am I old?" balked Blake as she looked at her counterpart.

"History played out differently in this Remnant after the Great War. After all, Ms. Valkyrie, and Professor Ozpin have different origins. Things were bound to be altered as a result," commented Winter.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Is this what I'm going to look like one day?" asked Blake.

"Well… if you're that concerned, I know some beauticians. I can arrange things in the future, if you want," offered Weiss.

Blake was seriously considering Weiss' offer.

" **Gang…?" asked Ozpin.**

" **We have a new minion?" asked Nora with a stuffed face.**

 **Blake Belladonna assessed the girl as Ozpin and Nora ate their breakfast at the counter she stood behind.**

"I think the girl has the wrong idea of what Jaune does," said Weiss.

"I suppose it's all because she and Jaune share the same building," suggested Ren.

"I still can't believe I'm a gangster in this…" said Blake.

" **I apologize for my behavior earlier. I didn't realize you were the Bro's number one underling. I'll make up for it, by cutting off my pinky," she said as she drew her sword out.**

"Wait, what?" gasped Velvet.

"It's a Yakuza thing. If someone messes up, they have to cut off a part of their pinky or any other finger as a sign of penance. Most of the time. It depends on how severe the mistake was," filled in Sun.

 **They would have said something, if Jaune hadn't walked in just now, and grabbed her by the ponytail with an irate expression on his face.**

" **Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he yanked her into the air by her hair, and made his way to the door, "I have nothing to do with organized crime. And I don't want any underlings. And I told you to get lost already! You damn punk girl!"**

"Ouch," winced Yang, "That's going mess up her scalp."

"That's kind of mean," said Ruby with a frown.

"So… if Jaune really isn't a gangster, does that mean I'm not?" asked Blake, hopeful.

"We should just watch," said Ilia, who got a little tired of Blake's worrying.

" **You're tearing out my hair," stammered Sunny in pain, "The two of us can become the bosses of the underworld, Bro!"**

" **When did I say I wanted to be Darth Vader?" growled Jaune.**

"Who's Darth Vader?" asked Ruby.

"Given what this girl wants to be, probably some thug," said Weiss.

" **Please! I have nowhere else to go!" said Sunny in desperation.**

" **What's with her?" asked Ozpin blandly.**

 **A kinder person would be horrified by his tone, but things got so crazy around the Kabuki District that this kind of commotion was normal.**

" **You come from a gang?" asked Blake.**

 **Everyone, even Jaune turned to give the elder faunus their full attention.**

" **I've heard rumors," began Blake, "The Uekibachi gang was having a business quarrel with Taurus' people. When a fight broke out, there was a crazy girl who took out the whole lot by herself. Her name was Sunday the Killer."**

 **Jaune immediately dropped the girl, and backed away to the bar. The girl got up, and had that same cutesy smile from before.**

"That little girl killed a whole gang?" gasped Glynda.

"Wait, she said 'Taurus' people," said Blake, "Does that mean Adam is in this?"

Sun got curious now. He asked about Adam in the previous viewing, but Blake being Blake was super vague about him.

" **Huh?! A killer?! This little twit?!" Jaune cried out in disbelief.**

" **This little girl works for the underworld?!" added Ozpin.**

" **Oh, it's nothing to brag about," gushed Sunny as though she had been complimented, "I just happen to be good at decorating with flowers. Did you know? The more evil someone is, the more beautiful a flower they make. And when I cut them up more, the flowers are redder and prettier!"**

Everyone felt a chill about how she gushed over killing someone with that cute smile and voice.

"I'm… kind of scared," shivered Ruby.

Yang pulled her into a one-arm hug and she relaxed.

 **Ozpin took steps back to his seat to the bar.**

" **Uh, I'm very sorry," said Ozpin on his way back, "I didn't mean to call you a little girl."**

 **Jaune, Nora, and Blake just stared.**

" **You said you had nowhere to go," began Jaune in a serious tone, "What happened to your former employers?"**

" **They're dead," said Sunny sweetly before she bounced on her feet, "They were jumped by the Taurus gang and turned into a lovely garden. There was a nice man there who took me in, and I always did as I was told, so I don't know what to do now. But I only know how to decorate with flowers. That's why I'm here. I'm here to turn the town where Adam Taurus is… To turn the Kabuki district into a garden of bright, red flowers!"**

"So, Adam is in this, and he runs a gang," said Blake.

"From the sounds of things, she wants revenge," said Qrow.

"But she's not strong enough on her own, so she needs Jaune's 'gang' to back her up," finished Pyrrha.

"So… is Adam like a really strong fighter?" asked Sun.

"He's a monster," said Ilia, "I heard this rumor that he single-handedly liberated an entire mining camp near the Mantle Snow Sea by himself."

"Exaggeration. I've seen the footage," said Winter.

 **Jaune looked a little disturbed at how the girl was acting in light of this information, though not as much as Ozpin was. Nora just shrugged it off. Jaune couldn't help but groan at the situation. He was hoping to relax and eat sugary treats, but he couldn't leave this kid on her own. There was no telling what kind of messed up shit she'd get into to "decorate" the town. To make things worse, the girl would do it all to help her "Bro" out, and then every gangster she wound up crossing would go to him.**

"Guilt by association," remarked Weiss.

"Looks like Jaune does have a new 'underling," said Ren.

"Well, hopefully it's just for a while," said Ruby.

 **Still, as crazy as the girl was, she was still a little girl. The huntsman he was trained to be told him he had to do the right thing and possibly save her from the path she was going on.**

"Yeah, go Jaune!" cheered Ruby.

"Ruby, she's a psychotic killer," said Weiss.

"But, if there's a slight chance to save her from that path, shouldn't someone try?" asked Ruby.

"It… would be the right thing to do," said Pyrrha, hesitant.

Ren shrugged, and watched curiously while Nora nodded in affirmation.

Weiss chose not to argue, but would be lying if she said wasn't curious as to just how Jaune would try to pull this off.

' **Looks like we have work to do… Pro bono, too,' he cringed.**

 **That meant no money for rent either. The tab was just getting higher, not that he'd tell Blake that.**

"Jaune must owe you a lot if he's freaking out over doing charity work," commented Yang.

"So I'm not just an apparent gangster, but a demanding landlady? My golden years are looking better by the minute," said Blake sarcastically.

 **In the streets of the Kabuki district, Sunny with a pair of aviators made all sorts of noise.**

" **Hey, hey, hey!" she yelled, "The bro is passin' through!"**

 **Jaune cringed.**

" **Watcha lookin' at, twerps! Eh?!" added Nora, also in aviators.**

 **Ozpin joined Jaune's cringe.**

"I look good in shades," commented Nora.

"Nora, you realize your counterpart is practically encouraging bad behavior. Right?" asked Ren.

" **Wanna make something of it?!" howled Sunny.**

 **Jaune and Ozpin did their best to ignore the stares.**

"Operation Reformation seems to be starting off strong," commented Winter sarcastically.

"It's just the start. No plan survives contact with the enemy," said Ozpin.

"At least we're acknowledging the potential enemy status of the girl," commented Ironwood.

" **This is bad. Very bad," said Ozpin dreadfully, "We've picked up a really dangerous girl. She said she's going to turn the Kabuki District into a flower garden. She means a sea of blood, doesn't she?"**

 **Jaune said nothing, but felt ill at the prospect.**

" **She wants to use your strength to get revenge on Adam Taurus," added Ozpin.**

' **Not helping,' thought Jaune, though it did explain why she insisted on calling him "Bro" like a younger gangster would**

" **I-It'll be okay."**

 **That didn't sound convincing.**

"I wouldn't be convinced either. The girl's a bottle shy of a six-pack," commented Qrow.

"This girl needs to be committed," shivered Yang.

"Yes," agreed Coco, "In an isolated area with no chance for escape."

" **She's a killer, but she's just a girl," said Jaune as the said girl taunted a barking dog, "She can't be stupid enough to take on the big boss…"**

" **Look here, Bro! Pretty flowers!" said Sunny as she pointed to a flower stall.**

" **See?" said Jaune, "She looks like a perfectly normal girl who happens to like flowers…"**

" **Granny, you been payin' all your fees?" Sunny asked a little old lady that ran the flower shop.**

" **Eh?!" added Nora with her best thug face.**

"Extorting a little old lady? Really?" asked Ilia.

"She's trying to be a gangster. What did you expect?" asked Weiss.

 **Jaune marched over, yanked Sunny up by the ponytail, and looked at her angrily.**

" **Don't make threats with a smile on your face!" Jaune scolded.**

" **A gang needs money to run," replied Sunny, "In return, we provide security."**

" **They're looking for security from us!" yelled Jaune as dropped her and gestured to some of the nearby businesses that began to close up around them.**

" **Now listen to me," said Jaune, "If you want to join Odd Jobs, forget all that dark side stuff. You aren't Darth Vader. You're just an ordinary girl. You aren't Sunny. From now on, you're Dummy Sunday."**

"Dummy Sunday?" asked Ruby.

"I'm confused," said Yang.

Pyrrha did laugh a little though. The silly name, combined with the seriousness on Jaune's face was kind of funny.

" **What kind of name is that?" yelled Ozpin.**

" **Understood, I'm Dummy-Dummy Sunday," said Sunny.**

Nora giggled a little.

" **NO, you have an extra "dummy" in there! Could you stop that?" corrected Ozpin.**

" **Hey, there's a cute cake place over there!" pointed Nora, "You can learn how to be a girl there, Dummy-Dummy-Dummy Sunday!"**

" **Enough with the "dummy" already!" screamed Ozpin.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"That's the most emotional I've ever seen you," tittered Glynda.

Ozpin chuckled.

Despite his counterpart's apoplectic responses… Ozpin was happy to see his counterpart freak out over a name as opposed to the fate of the world.

'Is this the result of a 'normal' life without worrying about Salem?" he thought.

It seemed nice.

 **They made their way to the cake shop, and sat in the patio. Jaune and Nora had ordered enough cakes to rival a queen's tea party, while Ozpin and Sunny simply ordered small slices.**

" **Um, this is kind of embarrassing. I've never been in a place like this before. Do I stand out?" said Sunny shyly.**

 **Jaune was eating a full size cake with a fork, and Nora had two pound cakes, one chocolate, the other was butter, in both her hands as she alternated between the two.**

" **Not at all," said Jaune, who hadn't even swallowed the morsel in his mouth before he added another.**

" **You look perfectly natural," said Nora, doing the same.**

"Certainly, compared to those gluttons," said Weiss in disgust.

Weiss like cake as much as most girls, and she even had her own cake butler. The sight of Jaune and Nora pigging out made her feel ill, however.

" **You guys stand out like sore thumbs," pointed out Ozpin as people stared, "Don't worry about it, Dummy-Dummy-Dummy Sundae."**

"Now I'm saying it? After all that outrage?" asked Ozpin with a quirked eyebrow.

"If you can't beat 'em," shrugged Qrow.

Ozpin chuckled.

" **You look like a very normal… No, a very cute girl," added Ozpin with a gentle, affectionate voice.**

" **Huh?" asked Sunny.**

"…" Ozpin went silent.

"Um… Did our headmaster just…" began Velvet, but a part of her mind felt it would be taboo to finish that thought.

In fact, every one of the kids felt the same way. Only the adults seemed brave enough to venture into such dangerous mental waters.

"Are you… flirting with her?" asked Glynda, disturbed.

"Ignoring her obsession with blood, she is pretty cute," said Qrow.

"…" Ozpin remained silent.

" **You should drop the gangster act. It's such a waste," continued Ozpin before he lightly bonked his own head, "Oh, sorry about trying boss you around."**

 **Sunny stared.**

" **Come on. What are you doing? Eat your cake," he said, before he used his own fork to cut a piece from her slice, "If you don't like your cake. I'll eat it."**

 **Sunny stared as Ozpin took a bite, before she surprised Ozpin by picking up her plate and going to the counter.**

" **A cockroach was chewing on my cake," she began, "It's too dirty for me to eat. What are you going to do about this, damnit?"**

"Ooh, burned," said Coco with a light laugh.

"Maybe next time, Professor Ozpin," chuckled Yang.

Ozpin snorted at the prospect… though he did find the cockroach analogy funny.

'Salem would likely think the same, considering how long we've been at it,' he thought.

 **Ozpin yanked Sunny's ponytail, and forced her to face him.**

" **Hey! Are you saying I'm a cockroach?!" he growled.**

 **Sunny had her usual smile.**

" **I'm actually kind of a neat freak. Gangster stuff aside," answered Sunny.**

"She talks about blood, and cutting people," said Coco, deadpan.

"Maybe it's to hide the evidence," supplied Nora.

That… was possible. Everyone shivered.

" **Gangster stuff aside?!" yelled Ozpin, "So, you just hate me, period?!"**

" **No sweat. That wasn't your fault," said Jaune.**

 **Nothing wrong there," added Nora, "That's how a normal girl would react."**

" **Why are you defending her?!" cried out Ozpin as he followed the others out, "Don't make it sound like every single girl is anti-Ozpin!"**

"It's okay, Oz. A lot of guys have been there," laughed Qrow.

"I can assure you, _I_ haven't. At least, not often," grumbled Ozpin.

He was millennia old. He had plenty of experience with girls. His counterpart with no such memory though… Is this what his very first puberty was like? He had all but forgotten his actual youth.

" **If you act gangster again, you get another 'Dummy' tacked on," said Jaune, "At least your name will feel more girly. Dummy-Dummy-Dummy-Dummy Sundae."**

Ruby and Yang started to laugh at how silly the name had become.

"So that the ridiculous name was an attempt at corrective measures?" asked Weiss, skeptical.

"How is that name girlish in any way?" asked Glynda.

" **How is that name girly?!" snapped Ozpin, "It makes her sound like a 'Dummy-Dummy' monster! Enough already!"**

" **Hey! There's a cute dried fish place, *****!"**

Nora laughed out loud, while Pyrrha gasped and Ren groaned.

"Wait, why was that bleeped out?" asked Blake.

"Yeah," added Yang, "I'm pretty sure the last universe had more curse words than this one."

"I'm not sure. Sometimes the VHS can act strange," said Archie.

" **Watch your mouth!" scolded Ozpin.**

 **The two girls ignored him, and went to the stall.**

" **Whoa, look at this, Dummy-Sundae," said Nora as he showed two dried pieces of konbu seaweed, "They're all dried! They're all hard!"**

" **Ooh, it's so cute!" squealed Sundae in delight.**

" **And wait, you're just taking her to places you want to go! What's so girly about dried fish?!" Ozpin tried to cut in.**

"It does make a nice gift," commented Blake.

Sun, Yang, Ilia, and Weiss looked to the cat faunus in the room.

"Seriously? You still have an obsession with fish?" asked Ilia.

"It's healthy," defended Blake.

"You know that some of that fish you like so much has mercury in it, right?" pointed out Ilia.

Blake scoffed. Ilia never loved seafood, so what did she know.

" **Why is it so dry?" asked Sunny, before she and Nora continued to totally ignore Ozpin's outrage, "Bro…!"**

 **She turned to face Jaune, but her shoulder was bumped by another person's shoulder.**

" **Oh, sorry!"**

" **WAAAH! It's broken," cried out a bald man who collapsed to the floor in pain.**

" **Bro! What's wrong?!" said another man in shades, who came to his side.**

" **The impact broke it!"**

Everyone stared in disbelief.

"Bullpoop!" cried out Ruby, "That was just a little tap!"

"Bullpoop?" asked Ilia.

"It's a lie, so I'm calling it like Uncle Qrow does," said Ruby.

"I wouldn't say that…" whispered Qrow, as Glynda and Winter looked at him.

 **Jaune and Ozpin were dumbstruck by the sight. The guy had to have been faking it, they saw** _ **him**_ **bump into her. The only alternative was that Sundae was so strong, simply bumping into her could break something. However, their skepticism made way for anxiety when they got a good look at the guys.**

 **They were Yakuza.**

' **Here comes the real thing' they both thought.**

 **It wouldn't matter if the guy was faking it. If a gangster felt slighted, it would mean trouble for anyone.**

" **Hey girl!" the one who wasn't hurt gestured to his friend, "Whatcha gonna do about this?**

" **This is bad," said Ozpin, "We were making progress, but they're going to stimulate her gangster blood. If they're from Adam Taurus' faction…"**

"Yeah… that could be bad," said Sun.

"Indeed," said Ironwood, "The girl could kill them, and use that ruckus to draw out her true target."

Blake bit her own lip as well when several potential scenarios that involved Adam entered her head.

 **Jaune understood the danger.**

" **Bah, can't help it," he groused before he made his way over.**

 **Ozpin blinked.**

" **Jaune! No violence!"**

" **I know," said Jaune, "I'll settle this in a mature and gentlemanly fashion."**

"I hope he knows what he's doing," said Weiss.

"I'm confident he does," said Pyrrha, "We saw him deflect the girl's blade with a wooden sword. I'm sure Jaune can settle this diplomatically."

"Indeed," said Ren, "Jaune is clearly a veteran fighter. Resolving the issue nonviolently should be no issue for him.

Everyone else began to feel more at ease.

 **Jaune placed a hand on the injured man's shoulder.**

" **Excuse me, did my friend do something wrong?" he asked politely.**

" **Huh? Who are you?" growled the man.**

 **The moment the man turned, Jaune's body spun, and was thrown to the ground as though he had been shoved. As Jaune groaned and writhed in pain, Sunny went to his side.**

" **B-Bro! What's wrong?" asked Sunny.**

" **I-It's broken…" he gasped before he coughed up – blood? "Th-The pat on the shoulder shattered all of my bones!"**

 **Ozpin reeled at the sight in complete disbelief.**

' **You're doing the exact same thing!' he accused in his mind.**

Everyone just stared.

"…Mature and gentlemanly?" questioned Weiss.

"Uh… maybe there's a plan?" Pyrrha tried to convince herself.

"I'm… not sure," said Coco.

"Is that blood real?" asked Velvet.

 **Sunny cradled Jaune when the yakuza grunt approached.**

" **What do you mean, pat on the shoulder!" the bald man yelled, "You're the one who patted me on the shoulder!"**

" **So, what are you going to do about this?" asked Sunny.**

" **Hey! You're making it worse!" yelped Ozpin from the side.**

"There goes deescalating the situation," sighed Blake.

" **That won't do! Calm down Dummy Sundae!" scolded Nora who held a shopping bag from the fish stall.**

 **Ozpin sighed in relief. Nora was a voice of reason.**

Ren cocked an eyebrow.

" **Here's your change," said a kindly lady before she dropped some lien into Nora's outstretched hand.**

 **Suddenly Nora fell to the ground, as if some unseen force and pushed her. She howled in pain as she cradled her arm, and Ozpin's hopes were replaced by his screams.**

" **Why are you pretending to break your bones?!" he cried out, fully aware of Nora's antics.**

 **There was a palpable silence that followed the confusion.**

'I knew it seemed too good to be true,' Ren thought.

"Ooh, maybe my counterpart has figured out Jaune's brilliant plan," said Nora.

"What brilliant plan?! All he's doing is acting childish and confusing!" declared Weiss.

Even Pyrrha and Ruby couldn't really figure out what was going on.

"Maybe," laughed Yang, "But it's still funny."

" **Uh, you broke your arm, while two of us broke all of our bones. Can we call it even?" asked Jaune weakly… from the pain.**

" **You broke your own bones!" objected the bald yakuza, before he pointed to Nora, "That girl wasn't anywhere near us!"**

 **The bald man's friend leaned in.**

" **Bro, that's enough!" he whispered before he looked to Jaune, "He's the one who's with Blake…"**

Blake's ears perked up.

"Looks like you _do_ have a bit of a rep," said Sun.

"Yeah… Those guys look like they're going to poop bricks…" said Ilia, who froze a moment later.

Blake and Sun looked to Ilia.

'Oh no… I'm talking like Blake's team leader!' she cried out Ilia.

" **What?" the bald guy was surprise, and a nervous expression replaced his anger, "Oh… He's the one who took on Big Bro, Roman…"**

' **Roman Torchwick… so they belong to Taurus' gang,' thought Ozpin.**

 **Torchwick was one of the districts most notorious gangsters, who answered only to Adam. Of course Jaune's rep in the underworld would go up after the dust up he and Roman had from a while back, and to make matters worse, Sunny might spoil for a fight soon if not now.**

"Oh, so that's what Jaune was doing. He made such a commotion that the yakuza recognized him. Good thinking fearless leader," said Nora, as if it all made sense to her.

"That's a bit of a generous stretch, don't you think?" asked Weiss, extremely skeptical.

"Well, if anyone could make sense of… whatever Jaune was doing, it would be Nora," said Ren.

'Only the mad can understand madness,' mused Ozpin with a chuckle.

" **All of my bones have been broken…" whined Jaune, almost playfully, "Could you let this one slide?"**

" **B-Bro, we should go…" insisted the bald one's friend.**

"Huh, I guess you were right, Nora," said Ruby.

"How can you just accept that line of thought?" demanded Weiss, "Where's the thought process?! The evidence?!"

" **I'll let you go today," said the bald guy, who walked over and grabbed Sunny by the wrist, "Now come with me."**

" **Huh?" squeaked Sunny.**

" **I don't have any business with him, but I'll need you to pay up by using that body of yours…" the man smiled lecherously.**

"Oh, hell no!" shouted Coco.

"He isn't talking about…" gasped Velvet.

"Yang! I can't see!" cried out Ruby when Yang covered her eyes.

No way in hell was Yang going to let Ruby see what the slimeball was suggesting.

" **N-No! Bro!" cried out Sunny as she reached for Jaune.**

" **Please, wait a moment," said Ozpin, who tried to deescalate the situation.**

" **Stop struggling! You damn bitch!" growled the man, who pulled Sunny in for a punch to silence-**

 **THUMP… grrruu…**

 **Jaune caught the man's wrist, and gripped it tight enough to hear the muscles and cartilage of the offending arm buckle in his grip. Gone was the comical idiot Jaune played. In its place was a man who wasn't going to allow the gangster to get his way.**

" **Huh?" gasped the bald man, now sweating profusely, "I thought your bones were all broken?"**

 **Jaune had a nasty smirk on his face.**

" **And your arm?" he gestured to bald man's "injured" limb.**

"Finally," said Ruby, who was free of Yang's blinding hands, "Wait, I thought that that arm was injured."

"Don't tell me that was all an act to flush out the man," said Weiss.

"A plan within a plan? See! I told you!" declared Nora.

"A rather roundabout way to uncover the truth, if that's the case," pointed out Glynda.

" **It seems to be in…" continued Jaune before he yanked hard, and the man flew, "…terrible shape!"**

 **The bald gangster crashed into a nearby stall, and got injured for real.**

" **N-Now he's done it!" cried out Ozpin.**

" **Bro!" the bald guy's friend rushed to his side, "Snap out of it, Bro!"**

 **Sunny had stars in her eyes, and Ozpin was petrified.**

" **Wha-Wha- What the hell are you doing?!" he cried out, "Why did you make the first move?!"**

 **Jaune flinched as he realized Ozpin was right. He threw the first punch against a henchman of a powerful crime boss. He was supposed to be setting an example for Sunny.**

" **Well, he was taking advantage of my gracious behavior," he bullshit, "I just gave him a little flick."**

 **He made a flicking motion.**

" **The hell you did! You sent him flying through the air!" called out Ozpin.**

"Well, looks like their plan to set her straight is going to hell in a handbasket," commented Qrow.

"The filth deserved it though. Trying to take advantage of that young girl in such a manner," commented Winter.

" **You rule, Bro! I think I'm in love" gushed Sunny, before she donned a crazed expression, "Now we have no choice but to fight it out with Adam Taurus. Together we can make lots of red flowers, and become the bosses of Vale.**

Everyone shivered at Sunny's smile.

"It's official, she's nuts," said Ironwood.

"No kidding," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune felt extremely ill, and really pissed off when he realized something. Blake mentioned she took out a gang on her own. She could have easily kicked that asshole's, well, ass. He grabbed her by the ponytail, and swung her around.**

"Ow, ow, ow!" winced Ruby, "There's no need to be that mean."

"He could have triggered a war with a crime boss, he's angry," said Weiss, before she sighed, "But you're right. That does seem excessive."

"I hope that girl has aura…" winced Velvet who remembered Cardin's ear pulling.

" **Damn it! You tricked me! That's not funny! I'm not going to pick a fight with Adam Taurus!"**

" **You won't get away with this!" said the other yakuza as he approached Jaune from behind, "This means war!"**

 **Jaune just kicked the man in the gut when he got close enough.**

" **I ain't gonna fight a war!" objected Jaune.**

" **Jaune! You're starting the war as we speak!" objected Ozpin.**

"I don't suppose it would be too late to walk away from this situation," said Ren.

"You really think their gang would let them?" asked Sun, "If the movies have a grain of truth in them, there's no way that would happen."

" **Pipe down!" yelled Jaune, who leapt over to a cash register, and lifted the contents, "Calm yourself and look for the time machine capsule Trunks uses!"**

"Who's Trunks?" asked Yang.

"And why would a time machine be in a cash register?" asked Ruby.

"I'm so confused," said Blake.

" **You need to calm down!" shouted Ozpin.**

" **It's okay, Jaune!" called Nora, who miraculously recovered from her injuries, "I have just what you need! Ready-mix concrete!"**

 **Nora supplied Jaune with a large trashcan of ready mix concrete already mixed.**

"How is that going to help?" asked Glynda.

"Uh, you see…" said Sun trying to figure out how best to explain it.

" **What are you going to do with that?!" demanded Ozpin, scared of what Nora may be thinking of.**

" **Shut up!" commanded Nora, who gestured to the downed gangsters, "If we stick these two in here, and toss it in the ocean, we can basically shut them up forever! Lady Shizuka will be yours!"**

" **Hell no!" shouted Ozpin, not quite sure who this Lady Shizuka is, but the title sounded important, "You'll scare off Lady Shizuka!"**

"…Well, Nora's not wrong. I mean in some crime dramas getting rid of the body gets rid of evidence," said Sun.

"Leave no witnesses, Jaune! The community's safety depends on it!" cheered Nora.

"Nora! That's murder, and it sets a bad example for Sunny," scolded Ren.

"Do you honestly think any attempts at reforming the girl are still viable?" questioned Blake.

"I agree. The situation is too far gone at this point," said Pyrrha.

"I know," groaned Weiss, "There's so much going on, so fast, I can't keep up."

 **Notorious gangster Roman Torchwick approached the scene, with his little dachshund dog by his side.**

" **Pops, give me the usual dog food…" said Roman as he approached the stall, but gasped in surprise at the mess the stall was in, "Looks like a fight broke out. What's…?"**

 **Roman trailed off though, when he saw Jaune. The blonde stared back at him as he tried to stuff two of Roman's associates into the concrete filled trash can.**

"Well… that's awkward" asked Yang

"Very," said Winter.

 **Elsewhere in the city, at an old temple…**

" **We will now begin the K-Kabuki District Council Meeting," said a man with a meek voice, "The topic today is separating trash…"**

 **Blake and two others just glared at the man. One of them was a large muscular man named Hei Xiong, called Junior by his peers. He had a stern and intimidating expression, but what made him stand out though was the fact he was a crossdresser. The man wore a pink suit jacket, with matching suit pants and heels. His graying hair was pulled into a low bun, and he wore rouge lipstick, and eye shadow to contrast with his thick, well-groomed black beard and eyebrows.**

All the guys, save Ren who had grown up in Anima, cringed at the sight. Men crossdressing wasn't that big of deal to Ren. It was a cultural aspect of Animan society, not that he ever did it. The girls in the room though either laughed or giggled at the sight of the man, even Glynda and Winter. But it was Yang's raucous laughter that stood out the.

"What the… The fuck…!" she heaved between her giggles and laughter, "Junior?! H-he's in a… a woman's… BWAHAHAHA!"

Qrow snorted, before breaking out into laughter himself. He'd worked with Junior before, when he needed intel that was hard to get legitimately. If only he had his scroll on him… the pictures he'd take would make even those broody twins of the club smile. Then again, Junior would probably never deal with him again. Oh well.

 **Hei Xiong, despite being a crossdresser, was a veteran of the Remnant War from Mistral. His whole gang were comrades from his old unit, and other veterans who had nowhere else to go. They were all fierce fighters in their own right, and looked after one another like family. Most people outside the underworld wouldn't know that they were gangsters, or even fighters for that matter, since like Hei himself, they were all crossdressers.**

"An entire gang of crossdressing ex-soldiers…?" asked Qrow once he calmed down from laughing.

"A gang... Hardly a dignified retirement," commented Winter.

 **Miss Aki, the other person Blake was with, was an Amanto with creamy skin with elfin ears. She had black hair that cascaded down her back, and wore an elegant red cheongsam with black, loose pants, and had a fan that concealed the lower half of her face. In fact, no one ever really saw her face at all, since the fan hardly moved. It made doing any form of negotiation, or interaction difficult since no one could tell what she was feeling.**

"She looks kind of familiar," said Ruby.

"I know… Where have I seen her before?" asked Pyrrha.

 **Miss Aki showed up out of the blue a few years ago. From what rumors Blake had been able to get, her name was likely an alias, which meant she was on the run from something. No surprise for new people coming to the Kabuki district. What was a surprise was how wealthy she was when she go to Remnant. Almost immediately, Miss Aki built up a small empire with her casinos that attracted humans, faunus, and amanto, and made her a major player in the town's development and underworld.**

"Are casinos really that big of a deal? They're just like arcades," said Ruby.

"Arcades that house millions of lien. Casinos are extremely cutthroat businesses, and if you are caught cheating? Let's just say some casinos will make you owe more than money," said Weiss.

 **Lastly, at least technically, there was her: Blake Belladonna. Despite her presence, Blake was unique in that she had no underlings in her faction. She wasn't even a gangster.**

"If I'm not even a gangster, why do I have to be there?" asked Blake.

"Not all power derives from force Ms. Belladonna," pointed out Ozpin, "Perhaps your power comes from something else."

Blake cocked an eyebrow at the headmaster, before she got back to watching.

" **Get lost, trash," they all said.**

 **The man ran away, and left the room. Blake was now alone with Aki, and Hei Xiong, which meant they could talk business. Well, rather the two could talk business while she acted like the grumpy old lady who had to be present for the meeting. Whether she liked it or not, the three of them were some the most influential people of the district's underworld, part of the "Four Devas" as the locals called them.**

"Four Devas?" asked Ren.

"They must be quite influential if they're titles are based off of divine entities," commented Ozpin.

" **So what's this about?" asked Blake as she lit her cigarette, "Why did you call us here? I don't recall ever failing to separate my trash."**

" **You just did," said Junior, "Why is this stinkin' garbage of a hag, mixed in with us beauties?"**

" **You shouldn't be talking," Blake scoffed.**

 **Even without her makeup, she would be infinitely more attractive than a bearded guy with lipstick. Still, there was no malice in their exchange. Blake and Hei got along rather well actually, except when it came to trash day. In fact they got along well enough to the point that Blake knew the reason why Hei dressed the way he did.**

 **During the siege of Mistral in the Remnant War, his wife was killed by amanto forces in a bombardment of the city. His daughters, Melanie and Miltia were in the countryside to avoid the heavier fighting around the cities. Too heartbroken to consider remarrying, but knowing Melanie and Miltia would need a mother in their lives, he chose to take on both roles. Though Blake, and even Hei, would say they probably took it too far.**

Suddenly, Hei in women's clothes didn't seem so funny.

"He went that far for his daughters? Now I feel like a bitch for laughing earlier," said Yang, touched.

"So, he's a single dad like our dad, but without the dresses and makeup," said Ruby.

Yang nodded, as she remembered some of the things their dad did for them. He'd read them stories at night when it was clear his body demanded sleep. He'd indulge Ruby and played princess while Ruby was the hero. He'd even put up with her clothes shopping, and occasionally indulge her bolder fashion choices, provided she let her know exactly where she was going and with who when she wore them.

Yang was reminded just how lucky Ruby and she was to have a dad like theirs.

"We should do something nice for dad next time we see him," said Yang.

"Ooh, how about treating him to the amusement park?" suggested Ruby.

"Sure! They've got that new roller coaster opening up soon," agreed Yang.

 **Miss Aki tittered behind her fan, her eyes the only way to tell what she was thinking.**

" **I'm glad to see that you haven't changed," she said in a melodic voice, "I apologize for taking up your time. But you'll have to wait a little longer. We're missing a member."**

 **Blake turned, to the empty seat near them, and she frowned.**

" **Adam Taurus?" she questioned, "There's no point. It's been two or three years since he was last seen in public."**

 **The fourth Deva of the group was Adam Taurus. A vigilante turned soldier, Adam was a faunus veteran of the Remnant War. Like Junior, Adam used the skills and experience he gained in the fighting to secure power in the underworld, and he was known throughout the Kabuki district of as an unparalleled swordsman…**

"Vigilante? Guess some things stay the same," said Blake.

"Is he that good of a swordsman?" asked Sun.

"He's incredible," answered Blake, "The only fighter in the White Fang who could best him might be Sienna Khan herself."

"No offense to Sienna, but that was years ago, Blake," said Ilia, "Sienna hasn't fought in a long time. It's very likely her skill has gone rusty."

" **I was hoping to have all four Devas present for this discussion," began Miss Aki, "I called you here for one reason. You are probably aware that the town has grown more tense the past few years. If nothing is done, a war will break out. I'm sure that nobody wishes for that to happen."**

" **Listen to yourself," cut off Hei, "You and Adam are the ones making a splash. It used to be that the casinos in this town were run by Adam's gang. But then you built a casino here."**

" **The same could be said for you, Hei Xiong," teased Aki, from behind her fan, "I've heard tales that you're sheltering Remnant patriots and rogue hunters."**

" **Huh?" balked Hei Xiong.**

" **Your soldiers may be dressed oddly, but each one of them is quite strong. You plan on using their strength to create an empire of trannies…" suggested Miss Aki.**

Everyone but Ruby, Ozpin, Winter, Glynda, and Ironwood burst out laughing.

"Empire of trannies…" chortled Qrow.

"Damnit!" giggled Yang, "I feel bad again! Did she have to say it like that?"

Fortunately Ruby saved the day.

"So, how is what they're doing about to start a war?" asked Ruby sincerely.

"In the case of Junior, it's quite obvious," began Ironwood, "His gang is mostly made up of former soldiers. Anyone would consider such a large number of fighters threatening. As for the other one, Miss Aki, her buildup is more subtle. She seeks to economically undercut Adam, and weaken him. If she can disrupt business enough, Adam's means of funding his gang, or any of their operations can be jeopardized. Not just Adam either; everyone can get hit."

Ruby nodded in understanding.

" **What are you talking about?" objected Hei, "I'm offering a home to those who have no place to go."**

" **But the fact remains that you've repeatedly refused to accept the demands of Adam's gang," said Miss Aki, who then turned to the elder Deva, "And Blake…"**

" **I have no interest in your stupid fight, and I'll have none of it," cut off Blake.**

Blake sighed in relief, glad her counterpart was so level-headed.

" **You may have no interest, but you've always held great influence in this town," added Miss Aki, "I've heard that you listen to the problems of your customers and offer counseling. And your pawns in that sketchy Odd Jobs group provide the necessary assistance. They've been running wild across our territory."**

 **Blake put out her cigarette and tried to prevent her laughter from escaping. Who knew giving advice to drunks every night, and housing a stingy, troublemaking tenant would grant her such power.**

"You'd be surprised," said Ozpin, "You are apparently a pillar of the community. That carries great weight in the hearts and minds of the people you live with."

"Enough that even these gangs would respect?" asked Blake skeptically.

"I would believe so," said Winter, "Furthermore, Mr. Arc, notwithstanding his eccentricities, is at least skilled enough that these nefarious individuals will respect you and invite you to a meeting. Even if he doesn't work for you, he is associated with you."

Blake pondered the information. Her, a pillar of the community?

She liked the idea, and she was sure her parents would too.

" **I never knew that I had pawns I could order around," scoffed Blake, "And I never knew that this town had been divided to up into territories."**

 **She drank from the tea she had been given when she first got to the meeting.**

" **This town doesn't belong to anyone. We just live our lives here. That's all," she said.**

 **Miss Fall's eyes indicated a frown behind her fan.**

" **However, some are not satisfied by that," Miss Aki argued, "These days, we are known as the Four Devas who work together to run this town, but didn't it all begin with the rise of a new faction, a king of hooligans?"**

 **The two other people thought about it. There was always an upstart, someone hungry enough to break into or topple the pecking order, if they played their cards right. At best it would disrupt business, and take a while to get used to things. At worse, there would be a bloodbath in the city.**

" **There is no reason for us to fight. After all, isn't our enemy Adam Taurus," said Miss Aki.**

" **I see how it is," said a gravelly voice, "The three of you are teaming up to get rid of Taurus the Obstacle."**

 **They turned to see a man in a grey kimono with a red obi, and a black haori robe. There was a sword at his hip, and he leaned against the door.**

" **Well, well," said Blake.**

Blake's breath hitched at the sight of her former leader… and lover.

"Is that him?" asked Sun.

"Yeah… Older, but it's definitely him," said Ilia.

 **Adam had arrived. His once vibrant red hair, had faded to a dull rose color with touches of grey. His brow was creased, and face lightly wrinkled with age. He still wore his mask from the Remnant War, and Blake figured it was a form of intimidation. After all, warriors from the collective Amanto conflicts were not people to trifle with.**

 **Adam approached the three present.**

" **Y-You're…" began Hei.**

" **Sorry to keep you waiting," began Adam as he took his seat, and set his blade on the ground next to him, "The obstacle's here. Don't mind me. Carry on. I believe the three of you were talking about teaming up to get rid of me."**

" **We never said anything about that," dismissed Miss Aki, "I simply mentioned that our wish to avoid any pointless conflict was being ruined by an unstoppable loose cannon."**

"That's a great way to describe him now," said Blake, "Before, it was passion for the cause. Then… he changed. His temper got shorter, he kept track of every little sleight, he'd lash out, even on those undeserving."

"Sound like a real piece of work," commented Yang.

"It's why I couldn't be there anymore. It's why I left him," she said.

"So… he was your boyfriend?" Sun ventured.

Blake hesitated before she nodded.

Sun made a noise of understanding.

" **I would take him out. Some fools in this world can only be cured by death," chuckled Adam with an unsettling grin, "But I wouldn't arrange a meeting like this. Look. Your necks are all lined up within range of my blade."**

"Definitely a piece of work," said Coco.

"You have no idea," commented Ilia.

 **As soon as the words left Adam's mouth, a shadowy figure held a blade beneath his neck.**

" **One of your pets, huh?" Adam glanced to the man holding a blade to his throat.**

" **Stand down," ordered Miss Aki from behind her fan, "He's merely joking."**

" **No, he made the correct decision" corrected Adam easily as the man lowered his sword, "This pet was well trained to be able to detect my hostility. Unfortunately, I'm getting old, so I have trouble controlling my piss and my hostility. I already sheathed my blade, but it keeps trickling out… Case in point."**

 **Everyone but Blake was shocked that Adam's sword was not laying next to him.**

" **You didn't notice me taking you out," said Adam before a cleanly cut hand and forearm fell to the ground.**

"Loose cannon, indeed," said Winter.

 **The clatter of the blade of Miss Aki's henchman rung like a bell.**

 **A door burst open, and Miss Aki's gang rushed in with blades drawn.**

" **I said to stop this!" ordered Miss Aki, who slightly tilted her fan to project her voice more loudly.**

 **Another door burst open, and humans and faunus in white kimonos with red obi belts and knives rushed to Adam's defense.**

" **What do you think you're doing to the boss?!" demanded one of the human gangsters.**

"Humans, and faunus? Working for Adam?" gasped Blake.

"Our universe's Adam would never believe this," muttered Ilia.

"Well, look on the bright side," suggested Velvet, who shrunk in on herself when everyone looked at her, "Humans, and faunus working together?"

"…She's not wrong," said Coco.

The irony was not lost on Blake.

 **A third door was knocked down, and men in women's clothes, and women in men's attire rushed in as well.**

" **You've shown your true colors!" a scarred man with a "womanly" voice shouted, "We won't let you lay a finger on Mama!"**

"So, that Junior's gang," said Yang

Appearances aside, the members of Junior's gang had a focus Yang had seen in her father and uncle when the sparred between themselves. Her own training had taught her that if she saw that particular attitude about her opponent, she was to treat the fight with the utmost seriousness.

Yang looked around, and saw her sister, and their friends had the same idea.

 **The three factions were about to spill one another's guts, when a shadow loomed over them.**

 **The temple statue fell in between the factions, coincidentally atop Adam who blocked it casually with his aura, and formed an impromptu wall that forced the three gangs to stop.**

" **You were eavesdropping on a conversation between ladies?" ground out Hei who showed a clawed hand, "You bastards ready to have your balls ripped out?!"**

 **Everyone realized just how strong Hei was, and hesitated to move.**

" **Stand down, boys," said Adam with a calm, yet amused voice. His hand released the aura shield, and in a fraction of a moment, a red flash quicker than lightning, lit the room.**

 **The statue that fell atop him disintegrated into dust, and Adam casually sheathed his sword.**

" **Ordinary people have no place here," said Adam.**

"Wow… Guess he is a bit of a monster swordsman," said Sun.

"His attacks are not as flamboyant as the one we know," said Ilia.

"Kids like to do flashy moves; it makes them look cool, at least in their eyes. The older you get though, the more you realize it's all wasted energy," said Qrow, "Wouldn't surprise me if any of you got less showy with your attacks when you get older."

 **Blake just lit another cigarette, and took a puff.**

" **Good grief," sighed Blake before she looked to the gangsters in the room, "How do you intend to stop these monsters. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them."**

" **As you saw, power can only be restrained by more power," added Miss Aki as she gestured to both Hei and Adam from behind her fan, "Here is my proposal. The factions of the Four Devas are not allowed to engage in personal fights. The faction which breaks this rule will be crushed by the other three."**

" **So in the end, it'll still be three of you teaming up against me," Adam chuckled before he donned a more serious expression, "You think you can take my balls by teaming up?"**

" **Don't get the wrong idea," said Miss Aki, "This rule is to prevent further conflict.**

" **The town will be a dull place if nobody can fight," commented Blake.**

" **If that's the only way to avoid a war, so be it," said Hei.**

" **Are you sane?" chuckled Adam, "Very well. It'll be a test of endurance. Try not to screw up before I do."**

"A policy of mutually assured destruction. It _could_ work…" commented Ironwood.

"It's all a game of Chicken," scoffed Qrow.

 **Elsewhere in town…**

" **Wait up!" screamed Ozpin as he and Nora ran through town, "It's over! This is war! This is all out war! Jaune! This is out of control!"**

 **He turned to his boss for some random words of wisdom, or a witty remark, only to find Nora running alongside him.**

" **Jauney is off on a rendezvous with Lady Shizuka," declared Nora.**

" **Huh? The bastard used us as decoys! I'll get you for this!" yelled Ozpin.**

"Well… There goes peace," said Glynda.

 **The riot passed a trash can in an alley way. It shifted a little, and Sunny lifted up the lid.**

" **It looks like they're gone, Bro," she said with her usual smile, "Things are getting fun."**

" **What's so fun about this?" Jaune groaned tiredly from inside the same trash can.**

"So much for helping her out," commented Coco, "His whole day went to hell."

"Maybe it's not too late," said Ruby.

"Ruby, I don't know how Jaune would be able to salvage this," said Pyrrha, with a hurt tone.

She didn't want to lose faith in her partner, but there was a _very_ strong case as to why it was the truth.

 **Jaune sighed before he took the lid and tossed it aside.**

" **Time to bust out an old cliché," said Jaune, "Revenge isn't fun for anyone. I'm sure that your dead friends would want you to live like an ordinary girl instead of letting revenge take over your life."**

" **Bro…" began Sunny, "Why do you keep talking about revenge?"**

 **Jaune turned to Sunny in surprise.**

" **Uh, wasn't your gang slaughtered by Adam? So you want revenge…" said Jaune, confused.**

" **What are you talking about?" asked Sunny, "My gang was** _ **crushed**_ **by Adam, but they're all alive."**

 **Jaune frowned.**

"Wait, WHAT?!" shrieked Weiss, "I remember her saying Adam's gang killed her's. I know what I heard!"

"That's what I heard as well, and I have the best hearing out of everyone," said Velvet, equally outraged.

" **But you said they were turned into a flower garden," he pressed.**

" **They quit the business to become farmers. They've planted a garden of red flowers," clarified Sunny.**

"Oh… you're fucking kidding me…" groaned Qrow.

Everyone, even Ren, Glynda, and Winter, sported a dropped jaw, and a twitching eye.

"…"

" **It's a pretty place," said Sunny wistfully, "But it was boring, so I left."**

"… **HUH?! Could you be any more misleading?!" Jaune was practically shaking. However, when he thought about it…**

" _ **You said you had nowhere to go," began Jaune in a serious tone, "What happened to your former employers?"**_

" _ **They're dead," said Sunny sweetly…**_

 **Jaune groaned. The girl must have thought he asked about the** _ **leadership**_ **of the gang only, and not the gang as a whole.**

"The whole day… All of that because of a misunderstanding?!" cried out Blake.

"A literal war is going to break out… because of-of… HUH?" Sun muttered as his brain tried to digest what was going on.

 **Jaune facepalmed**

" **We've been trying to subtly convince you to give up on revenge because of your dark past…" said "So wait? Why are you here?"**

"Yes! I really want to know now!" demanded Pyrrha.

"Yeah, spill the beans, crazy girl!" added Nora.

"Yes. Spill," said Ren.

 **Sunny smiled.**

" **Like I said. I'm here to decorate Adam and this town with red flowers."**

"Bullshit!" Weiss and Winter declared.

" **Enough of that," said Jaune firmly, "Give it to me straight."**

" **I meant exactly what I said," insisted Sunny, "I'm here to make the great Adam Taurus bloom again. For that, I need the help of the strongest man in the Kabuki district! That's you, Bro!"**

"I'm so confused," said Ruby.

"I am so done with this girl now," muttered Yang.

" **Got it," sighed Jaune dismissively, "In other words, your mind is full of flowers, and it's a waste of time to bother talking with you. In that case, this is farewell."**

"About time," said Ilia.

"Yes," said everyone in agreement.

 **He didn't need this problem, and he moved to get up…**

 **The can moved with him, and he and Sunny fell together to the ground. The can rolled in place for a moment, and Jaune was confused. He tried to get out again, but he wouldn't budge. He looked in and saw… ready mix concrete?**

"Oh no…" groaned Velvet.

"Are you shitting me?" groused Coco.

' **Shit, did we hide in the trash can we were going to use earlier? How did we wind up hiding in this?'**

 **When Roman showed up, he and the others bolted from the scene. He recalled the bald the guy and his pal from earlier scrambling after them too. They did double back to try to throw them off... Damnit!**

' **Did we lose track of where in town we were in the confusion of the escape?' thought Jaune.**

"Well that strategy backfired," muttered Ironwood.

Glynda took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, as did Ozpin.

" **Bro, the bond between gang members isn't easily broken," said Sunny.**

" **I don't have a bond with a trash can!" shouted Jaune, "The concrete's hard now! This is all because you kept talking!"**

 **And because he didn't look where he hid, but he wasn't in the mood to be fair.**

"Seriously, how do you not know you're in _wet_ concrete?!" shouted Ilia.

"Heat of the moment?" suggested Sun.

" **What do we do?!" he ground out as he struggled to break free, "What's going to happen?!"**

" **Well, that's easy enough."**

 **Jaune and Sunny looked up to see Roman and some of his goons looking down on them. Roman knelt to them at eye level, and he slicked his hair.**

" **You get served the treatment you were going to deal."**

The tension suddenly returned in the room.

"That's not good," said Ruby.

"There's more to see as well…" said Archie who paused the volume, "Why don't you all get a drink. I'm sure you could use it will all the yelling you've done.

"That bad?" asked Weiss, bashfully.

"Not as much as I expected…"

 **A/N: Let me know what you all think.**

 **I'm trying to think of creative ways to cut back on intro narrations. I know I did them for A Knight's Tale, and Halo to give a few examples, but in hindsight, I think it takes away from the immersion. For some with really rich backstories though, I can't avoid it and it might be necessary. If you have suggestions, I'd like to hear it.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **I chose to add episode 210 to this because when I just used episode 211, it not only forced me to use a lot more explication than I would have liked, it took away from a lot of the over-the-top craziness that a Gintama episode can have. This is especially true for the characters Nora and Ozpin play, Kagura and Shinpachi respectively. In episode 211, they're just sort of there, and I didn't want to showcase them like that.**

 **Gintama has a lot of Japanese pop culture references, and a few Western ones as well. I changed some of them, not too drastically, so that the reference can be understood along with what was going on.**

 **Casting for Shinpachi was difficult. At first I was going to go with Ren, so that it pairs with Kagura. However, it didn't work because in the initial stages, when I was going to do an episode in season 1. In that episode, I needed some to stalk what would have been Pyrrha, and since I think Cardin is a bit of a bore as a character, I chose Ironwood. And because I picked Ironwood, Glynda took the role of Otae, and I wound up casting Ozpin as Shinpachi, which I believe would have made an interesting set of reactions from the three.**

 **Thank you for reading, and please review.**


	12. Gintama Pt 2

**Here's Part 2. Out of curiosity, what's the longest chapter any of you have come across in terms of word count? If it's as long as, or longer than the combined amounts of these two chapters, I might make those big mega chapters too. Let me know, if you can.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Gintama**_ **is the work of Hideaki Sorachi, and distributed by Shueisha and Weekly Shonen Jump.**

Chapter 12 – Gintama, Part 2 (ENDDRAGON369's Request)

After getting drinks of water, everyone reassembled at the couch, and sat down.

"Now then, let's continue," said Archie.

Everyone hushed as the lights went down…

 **Jaune was trapped in a concrete-filled trash can with Sunny as Roman and his comrades of humans and faunus dressed in white, red, and black sneered and snickered at the sight of them. Jaune returned their mockery with a deadpan stare despite the danger of being in their position in the pier. It was dark, and all it would take was one kick to get them all to drown in the sea.**

" **Finally, it's time for payback!"**

' **How cliché…' Jaune thought.**

"He's in a lot of trouble. How can he not be worried?" asked Ilia.

"He's our fearless leader, that's why," said Nora.

"I just realized their gang's colors remind me of the White Fang uniforms," said Sun.

Blake and Ilia took a closer look, and saw that Sun made a pretty accurate statement.

 **Jaune saw Roman Torchwick approach him as he fixed his hair up.**

" **Like I said before," Roman began, "I always return the favor, seven for three."**

 **Roman hair cut fit those barber shop numbers.**

" **Nobody parts their hair 7:3 anymore," said Juane, drolly, "You should shave your head and opt for the bald look."**

" **Up yours!" shouted Roman, outraged, "My hair is styled like Vigo Mortensen. Fashion trends come back in a cycle!"**

"Trends do come back," shrugged Coco.

"Who is Vigo Mortensen?" asked Ruby.

"Probably some celebrity in this universe," said Weiss.

" **Hold on," objected Jaune, "I was egged on by this stupid girl. I have no grudge against you Joe Schmoe."**

" **Who are you calling Joe Schmoe?!" demanded Torchwick.**

Ruby and her team laughed a little. Having fought Torchwick a few times, they knew nothing would irritate the man more than being treated as an unknown entity, or mistaken for someone else, at least.

 **Roman scoffed before he gestured to the bald yakuza from earlier, "Besides, that's not what my boy here told me. I know what's going down. You promised to help her decorate our boss with red flowers."**

" **How do you know that?" asked Jaune, surprised Roman knew what Sunny said.**

 **She didn't mention anything about flowers around the guy.**

" **Why don't you tell him what you really mean when you say red flowers, Miss Sunday?"**

 **Jaune blinked. It was not often gangsters used such a deferential title for someone after all. Only those of high rank in… the gang…**

"Wait, what?" asked Sun.

"If they called her 'Miss,' then that means… Oh no," said Velvet.

" **Um, 'Miss' Sunday?" Jaune turned his head and asked, suddenly really nervously, "U-Uh, are you…?"**

 **Sunny was quiet.**

"Oh… Looks like someone just got duped…" said Yang.

" **Bro, my boss was a relative of Adam, and an old friend," said Sunny in a cutesy voice, "He used to tell me when I was young about the great warrior Adam, warrior among warriors. A man of great ideals, and the strength to make them bloom to life like flowers. However, the flowery ideals he once held died out at some point…"**

Blake felt a chill at the similarities. She had been attracted to Adam because of his belief in doing more that holding up signs and being outraged. He had advocated a more proactive approach, and she had been swooned by his zeal. However, mission after mission had gotten bloodier and bloodier, and soon, she could no longer see the impassioned fighter for equality. She began to see, instead, a fanatic who had turned bitter and hateful, and would hurt anyone who go in his way.

 **Jaune was floored by the change in tone. Sunny pulled a dagger from her coat sleeve, and stabbed into the concrete.**

" **He abandoned his wife and child, and crushed his wife's family because of business. And now he's picking a stupid fight with a tranny and an old hag," muttered Sunny darkly.**

"Wife and child?" gasped Blake, "Abandoned?"

"He crushed his own wife's family too? That's messed up," growled Sun.

 **Sunny applied some leverage, and the concrete filled trash can that she inhabited with Jaune split apart 50:50.**

 **She leapt acrobatically into the air, and landed before the gangsters.**

" **I just want to see the old Adam one more time," announced Sunny, "To help him take the world… To help make some pretty flowers bloom in my old man."**

"…Old man?" gasped Blake.

"She's Adam's daughter?" gasped Ilia.

 **Jaune stared at the image of Sunny with the bright full moon in the background with the wind blowing her hair.**

" **Huh? What's she talking about? That went completely over my head," said Jaune before he gasped in realization, "What? What?!"**

" **There you have it," said Roman smugly, "Miss Sunday is… No, the young lady is Adam's daughter! To be precise, she's the daughter of the missus who divorced the boss, and went back to her family."**

 **Sunny smiled as she flicked her red ponytail, and her cow ears.**

"The ears and streak of hair… That victorious smile… She really is Adam's daughter," commented Blake with a keen interest in the child.

" **Bullshit!" said Jaune, "Help your old man take the world?! That's the complete opposite of revenge!"**

" **Isn't that what I said?" asked Sunny, "I'm here to decorate him with flowers."**

"I thought she wasn't after vengeance," said Ruby.

"Flowers again… wait," said Weiss, who just realized something.

"Metaphor," said Blake, "The flowers are a metaphor for Adam's passion and ideals. She wants to bring to life whatever it was Adam believed in."

" **You were talking about making me the big boss of Vale!" objected Jaune, "You were trying to make me fight Adam!"**

" **Yakuza grow stronger by recruiting the people they beat," said Sunny sweetly, innocently, "My old man can take the world if the strongest man in Kabuki district is on his side. Once you're the big boss, my old man will be the big, big boss!"**

 **Jaune was floored by the explanation, his jaw was wide open. She wasn't wrong, but talk about messed up. Making him fight her old man in order for said old man to beat and recruit him? He didn't even want to be involved in this crime syndicate bullshit to begin with!**

"So… wait. I'm confused," said Velvet.

"It's easy," said Nora, "Remember how Adam beat the girl's old gang?" asked Nora, and got she got nods in response, "Well, if Adam is crazy strong and beats Jaune, he can recruit Jaune and get stronger. If he gets stronger, he throws his weight around gets control of more stuff. Eventually, he gets so big and strong, Vale's too small so he expands. Eventually, Adam rules the world, while Jaune gets Vale. It's super easy when you think about it."

Everyone stared.

"How-?" began Weiss.

"Nora, can connect dots very well at times," answered Ren.

" **Young lady, it's settled," said a man on his scroll.**

 **Sunny smiled at Jaune.**

" **Bro, the Taurus gang will be making their move now. Do you know what's happened?" she asked.**

 **Jaune kept quiet, and didn't take his eyes off her.**

" **There's a law in this lawless town now. If any faction starts a fight, the other Devas will crush them. The first victim will probably be the boss of a certain someone who picked a fight with the Taurus gang over a helpless little girl: Blake," Sunny answered.**

 **Jaune's eyes widened in shock.**

"The fight from before… that's the spark for war," gasped Ruby.

"Wait. That occurred before the meeting took place," said Weiss.

"You really think a gang is going to care about a technicality?" asked Ilia, "It took place on the same day."

" **But it's your call to make, Bro," offered Sunny, "Please join us! Or we'll have to drop you in the ocean, and Blake will be targeted by everyone in the Kabuki district!"**

" **Hey, I'm guessing that's supposed to be a threat," Jaune started calmly, "but if you kill me here, you'll be considered the aggressors."**

 **Roman laughed.**

" **You an idiot?" he sneered before he pointed his thumb in the general direction of the town behind him, "Why do you think we put on a show in the middle of town?! We got plenty of witnesses!"**

 **Jaune remembered, but he knew enough about the underworld to get an idea of how it operated. A war wouldn't occur over something so trivial. The losses far outweighed the potential gains.**

"How so?" asked Velvet.

"War disrupts commerce," said Ozpin, "And if the war is particularly brutal, it can discourage commerce for quite some time. I imagine the gangs of the Devas need money in order to operate at full capacity, as well as encourage officials to look the other way from time to time."

" **You're the idiots!" said Jaune defiantly as he pointed a finger at Roman, "The four Devas aren't going move because of a little spat! A death is far more serious! Die baldie! Go bald down your parted hairline! Go bald all over your body!"**

" **I ain't gonna go bald!" shouted Roman, "Every week I part my hair to the opposite side to avoid excessive damage to my scalp! I ain't – HRK!"**

 **Before Roman could reference some celebrity, he felt a sharp sensation, literally, light up his nerves. He looked down, and saw a blade sticking through his chest from behind.**

" **If that's not enough, how's this?" asked Sunny sweetly, to the shock of Jaune, Roman, and the other gangsters, "We'll say that you killed our young leader here, and we killed you for revenge."**

"No way…" gasped Yang.

"She just… stabbed him?" shuddered Weiss.

"Holy shit!" cried out Coco.

"Her own teammate?" gasped Ruby.

"And she's going to use his death to her advantage," said Blake, 'Like Adam would,' she thought.

 **Roman turned to Sunny in a jerky manner.**

" **Huh? No way…" Roman stammered before Sunny pulled the blade out.**

 **Roman turned fully, started to lose his balance, and tumbled into the sea.**

" **Bro!" shouted the gangsters as they tried to go after Roman.**

 **Sunny stopped them all as she presented her bloody blade in a halting manner.**

" **Is your boss the guy with the parted hair? Or is it Adam Taurus?'**

" **B-But!"**

" **If you move, I'll turn you all into flowers," she said, and everyone cowed to the little girl.**

 **Jaune stared as Sunny hoisted the bloody sword she held onto her shoulder to rest it.**

" **Got it, Bro?" Sunny asked before her face and tone became darker, "I'm serious."**

" **D-Damn you!" growled Jaune.**

 **The little bitch was really going to kick off a gang war, because of some nonsense about bringing Adam's ideals to life?**

"Like Father, like daughter," shuddered Blake.

"Would Adam go that far?" asked Ilia.

"Yes… There was a heist on an SDC train we were running in Forever Fall. He was willing to blow up the crew once we got the cargo, human and faunus alike," said Blake.

"Good thing you left him," said Sun.

"Yeah, you deserve better," added Yang.

Blake smiled a little at the support her friends gave her.

 **Jaune came up with a new plan, and rolled the trash can he was in into the sea.**

"Wait, what?" gasped Pyrrha, and Weiss.

"He'll sink to the bottom!" cried out Ruby.

" **Bastard!" shouted one gangster.**

" **He jumped into the water with the concrete!"**

" **Is he trying to escape?"**

 **The whole gang knew the guy was a former huntsman after all.**

" **Nope!" said Sunny sweetly, "He went to save him."**

"Why would Jaune want to save Roman?" asked Blake.

"Jaune has acted odd throughout this universe, but remember, some of his actions do have a reason. Especially in a serious situation," said Ren.

"Maybe…" said Weiss.

"Hmm… What are you planning now, Mr. Arc?" said Ozpin.

" **That's stupid!" replied one of the gangsters, "He can't move, and why would he save Bro?!"**

" **Yes, he's stupid. I was very surprised," said Sunny seriously as she recalled Jaune "defending" her from the Taurus gangsters earlier.**

 **She played the role of the defenseless, naïve girl well, and like the good little boy under Blake's command he was rumored to be, Arc couldn't help but defend an innocent little girl. He was quick to act, and gave his all when it counted.**

"That's very true," said Pyrrha.

"Quite. He also seems principled as well, staying out of the criminal underworld as much as he could," said Winter.

 **Sunny chuckled.**

" **But that's why I wanted him on our side," she finished, "But, he chose the old cat. Pity. Bye-bye, Bro."**

"Looks like I'm a target now," said Blake.

"Don't worry Blake," said Nora, "You still have me and Ozpin in this universe. Not to mention when Jaune gets out of the water, you'll be safe."

Blake smiled, but inwardly, she was not so sure.

 **The following morning…**

 **Miss Aki, and Junior sat across one another in the temple they were in just the day before.**

" **Pity," said Miss Aki with closed eyes and an elegant voice, "I came up with this plan so the three of us could deal with Taurus, but I never would have expected Blake to…"**

"It was that crazy girl," said Ilia.

"With only Sunny's account available for them to hear, I doubt they could be swayed," said Blake.

 **Slam!**

" **Don't be ridiculous!" said a high-pitched male voice.**

 **The door burst open as an orange-haired transvestite with a five o'clock shadow in a purple kimono from Junior's gang was being held back by his two comrades, also in drag.**

" **Miss Blake would never… Joan would never do anything like that!" he declared, "We know how gentle they are!"**

"Joan?" asked RWBY, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren.

 **It took a moment for Junior to remember Joan was the name Jaune received from him when he shanghaied the blonde into working at his crossdressing club.**

"Jaune worked in Junior's bar?" asked Yang, "That must have been interesting."

"Given their tastes, I can also imagine Jaune in makeup also," said Coco.

Pyrrha, Yang, and Velvet began to blush a little at the thought, but remembered just how serious things in this universe got and they shook their heads a little to clear their heads.

" **Calm down, Assmi!" said one of the other underlings in a worried, womanly voice.**

" **Don't call me Assmi! It's Azumi, damn it!" said Azumi.**

" **Shut the hell up, Ass!" yelled Junior.**

"… **!" the three gangsters straightened to attention.**

" **Could you add the 'mi?' You can call me Assmi as long as the 'mi' is there," said Azumi, downcast before he and the others left.**

" **It looks like we were the only ones serious about stopping this conflict," began Junior, before he delivered an accusing gaze to the person he was talking to, "When did you make a deal with Taurus?"**

"Wait… She made a deal with Adam?" asked Ilia.

"Sounds like someone's working many sides to clear the board," said Ironwood.

"Politics of the underworld… Gotta love it," said Qrow blandly.

" **You think I would make a deal with that Vixen?" said a voice to the side.**

 **Junior turned to see Adam, half his figure obscured by the door frame and wall, sitting off to the side smoking a pipe.**

" **Were you pushed by the kid?" asked Adam, "No, were you the one who pushed the kid?"**

" **Don't play dumb," ground out Junior, "They might be rotten to the core, but they aren't dirty like you people!"**

" **They" being his gang. Despite their current gang status, most of Junior's henchmen were once soldiers and hunters. If they were going to rough someone up, it was going to be in retaliation and their target would see it coming. They didn't do the cloak-and-dagger, and they wouldn't use a little girl to do their dirty work. He wouldn't be able to look his twin daughters in the eyes if he did.**

"Keeping children out of the battlefield. A commendable stance," said Ironwood melancholic, with a distant look on his face.

"There's some honor within them yet, it seems," commented Winter.

Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, and Qrow flinched a little.

" **That's enough," said a sweet voice, "You should stop that, Mr. Junior. It's not nice to whine and go back on your word."**

 **Junior saw a little girl with cream color skin, brown hair with a red ponytail approach and take a stance with an extended hand.**

" **Pleasure to meet you, I'm Adam Taurus' daughter, Sunday, or Sunny, whichever you prefer."**

"How about 'Little Bitch?" suggested Coco.

"It's clear that she's pulling a lot of strings in this conflict, along with that Aki woman," said Weiss.

Nora rubbed her eyes, and groaned in frustration.

"I know I've seen that Aki lady somewhere before. Where?!" she cried out.

 **Adam simply stared before he continued to smoke.**

" **Taurus'…" began Junior.**

" **I have a question for you, Mr. Junior," began Sunny, "Do you have any proof Blake hasn't done anything?"**

" **My proof is the fact that you have no proof," answered Junior, "Why would Blake pick a fight with Adam? And now of all times? There's obviously a conspiracy going on."**

"Go Junior!" whooped Yang, which Ruby followed up with a cheer of support.

"Call that little brat out," added Sun.

"Indeed. Blake is the least interested in this whole conflict. Reason dictates that she would not pick a fight," said Ren.

Blake felt a little warm as she heard her friend's support for her counterpart's innocence.

" **No one would spend that much effort to kill an old hag," said Sunny, "Besides, we have proof that Blake would pick a fight with my old man. There's a long history between them. Isn't that right, old man?"**

Blake's breath hitched, and she leaned further toward the edge of her seat to hear what the cause was.

 **Sunny took a glance to her father, who just stared in the distance and smoked his pipe quietly.**

" **Here it is," she continued, "Miss Blake's wife, Yang Xiao Long, was killed by my old man."**

Ruby and Weiss blinked, and looked to their two teammates.

Yang and Blake were quiet and looked at one another.

"Wife…?" muttered a blushing Ilia in disbelief.

"Aww… That's so cool! Good for you!" chirped Nora, not noticing the awkward looks Yang and Blake gave one another.

"Heh-Heh… Oh… Well, I guess we're partners in this universe too," said Yang nervously.

"Y-Yeah… sure," said Blake, who had a tomato-red blush on her cheeks.

The two scooted away from one another for a moment.

 **Junior's eyes widened in shock, and Adam just listened.**

 **Adam thought of Yang. The descendent of Mistral colonists from before the Great War, Yang was a girl with a pipe and a cocky grin, a fist of iron, and was skilled with a jutte, her weapon and badge of office as a policeman.**

"What's that weapon?" asked Yang.

"I-It's a jutte," said Blake, still reeling that she and her partner were a couple in another universe, "Samurai characters in my books use it disarm swordfighters, and pull them in for close quarter fighting."

"…Cool," said Yang, who also still stuttered at the thought of her married to her partner.

It wasn't that Yang was opposed to the idea; she was bisexual. It was just that Blake was her partner and friend, and it was best to keep things like that, at least until they were out of school. Even then, Yang might not even bother. If the ear marks in Blake's books, which weren't very well hidden, were any indicator, Blake preferred men.

" **Oh? You didn't know?" Sunny asked in an almost taunting manner, "What about this? My old man, and Ms. Xiao Long were friends when they were young. But then they got into a fight over a certain girl. Ms. Xiao Long was the one who won her over. I'm sure my old man wasn't happy about it."**

Blake's breath increased in fear.

" **Stop it…" said Adam softly from behind.**

" **That's why he killed his old friend. So he could have the girl," Sunny continued.**

Blake gripped her knees, and she felt her eyes sting. Yang began to grind her teeth.

" **Stop it," ordered Adam more firmly.**

" **Do you know why he abandoned his own wife and daughter to come to this town?" asked Sunny, with a tinge of bitterness to her voice despite the sweet smile, "That's because the girl, Miss Blake, is here."**

 **The wind shifted, and suddenly a part of the wall was sliced through as a red arc sailed into the ceiling. The red ponytail fell to the ground with a clean cut, but Sunny just giggled nonplussed by her father's dangerous actions.**

" **Didn't you hear me say to stop?" said Adam calmly.**

" **See? It's just like I said," said Sunny with a shrug, as though she had proved a point, "He cares more about Miss Blake than his own daughter."**

Blake's lip trembled, a torrent of thoughts sloshed around in her head.

Yang was married to her? Yang died because she was married to her? Adam killed her… her wife out of jealousy, and he obsessed over her that much he would abandon his wife and child?

"Blake, you okay?" asked Sun, concerned.

"Okay? How do you expect me to be okay?!" Blake burst out.

"Look, I know it's freaky and all, but-" started Yang, but was cut off.

"What are you going to say? _This is an alternate universe?_ " she air-quoted, "This is exactly what Adam would do. He'd kill anyone who got in his way along with everything they hold dear. He has the strength and the spite to do it."

"He might," said Yang, "But _we_ have the strength to stop him if it ever came to that."

Blake was dumbfounded. Did they not see the danger that could await them when they returned to their world?

 **Adam sheathed his sword.**

" **You came here just to tell me that? Such a dutiful daughter," he said blandly as Sunny picked up the red tuft of hair that fell.**

" **If what I'm saying isn't true, that should mean you can kill Miss Blake," challenged Sunny in a cheerful manner as she examined the hair that fell.**

"I really don't like her," said Ruby.

"I doubt any of us would at this point," said Yang.

 **Adam just put his pipe away, tucked his sword to his belt, and walked away from the gathering.**

" **Are you running away?" asked Sunny.**

" **Junior, don't worry," called Adam, "Yakuza don't need trannies to clean up their mess. Stay out of it. I'll settle this myself."**

"Oh no…" gasped Blake.

"Blake, calm down," said Ilia in a comforting manner, "That Jaune guy came up with a plan, right?"

"Yeah, it's not over yet," chimed in Yang.

Ruby and Weiss also came to Blake's side, in the hopes it would calm her down. It helped, but not enough to completely drive the anxiety away.

" **Wait! I'm not done talking…" barked Junior, before he felt a presence from behind.**

 **Sunny had somehow gotten behind him, and looked ready to draw her blade.**

" **I'll spare you this one time, since you kept whining," began Sunny in a sweetly, cold voice, "Could you shut up now?"**

" **How am I supposed to shut it?" demanded Junior**

" **Have you forgotten?" began Miss Aki, "If you go back on your word, we'll have to eliminate you as well. When laying siege to a castle, what would you target first? The weakest spot in the wall. A seasoned soldier like you should be aware of this."**

…

 **A pair of young twin girls, one in white and the other in red, and both with black hair and green eyes were walking home from school when they were approached by three men in white kimonos with black and red patterned obi belts.**

"Oh shit… The twins from Junior's club. His kids in this universe!" gasped Yang.

…

" **M-MAMA!" cried a voice as the door opened.**

 **Hei turned to see Azumi in tears, the mascara and makeup dripping from his face. His scroll was still flush against his face with a distraught expression.**

" **M-Mel and Mil are…!" he blubbered, "They are… They've been taken hostage!"**

 **Junior whipped to Aki.**

" **Damn you!" he roared, but stood still in barely bridled fury.**

 **He could not see the smile on Aki's face from behind her fan, but Junior could tell by the malicious glint in her eyes.**

"I remember now!" shouted Pyrrha, "The potential future with Juniper. That was the same specter that taunted Jaune toward the end."

Yang remembered immediately along with everyone else in the room. For a brief moment, her eyes flashed red, but it was Miss Goodwitch's voice that ended all thoughts of trying to punch the screen.

"You're certain?" asked Glynda.

"Yes," said Ruby seriously, "Pyrrha's right. I'll never forget those gloating yellow eyes."

"I remember," said Ren sternly, "According to Jaune, she's supposed to be the one who kills Pyrrha."

"Now we have an idea of what to look for, in case she comes up again in these viewings," said Yang.

 **Blake was on the telephone in her tavern.**

" **I see. Very well," the elderly cat faunus said before she hung up.**

 **Four people stood behind her with baited breath as she sighed. The moment she began to turn, the four stood at attention. From her left to her right were her two employees, followed by Ozpin and Nora.**

 **The leftmost was Ilia, an Amanto with lizard scales tail that had tried to steal from her in the past. She was no slouch in a fight either, and even got the jump on Jaune for a bit before Jaune ultimately defeated her. However, Blake gave her another chance as soon as Ilia served her initial jail time, and was now Blake's right hand.**

"I'm an alien… But, also your right hand?" said Ilia, "W-Well, see? You have another person to guard you."

"Ilia…?"

"I even got the jump on that Jaune guy," pressed Ilia, "My counterpart won't let you down, so you can relax a little."

Blake said nothing, but nodded.

 **The second was Penny, a robot maid that served as Blake's waitress in the bar, along with Ilia. She was the first unit of a long line of robotic maids from a company whose most recent models went haywire a while back. Penny's memories were fuzzy, but with her salvaged body Penny found renewed purpose as a waitress in Blake's bar with a desire to connect with and emulate humanity.**

"See you even have Penny, Blake," said Ruby in a confident manner, "She shot down like three bullheads full of bad guys at the docks. Plus with Ozpin and Nora on top of that! You couldn't be any safer."

"I guess…" allowed Blake.

 **Blake cleared her throat.**

" **Don't worry, that was Jaune," said Blake.**

"And now you have Jaune!" announced Nora.

"He made it? Color me impressed," said Weiss.

"Everything will be fine now," said Pyrrha as Ren gave a reassuring nod.

" **It seems that Sunday is safe," she continued.**

The mood shifted.

"Sunday… is safe?" said Yang, uncertain.

" **They learned about the new rule right before they were about to take on Taurus' gang. Apparently, they were able to talk things through," said Blake.**

"I don't think that was Jaune on the phone…" Ruby thought aloud.

"So she's lying? Why?" asked Velvet.

Blake quickly figured out her counterpart was doing.

" **That's a relief," sighed Ozpin happily, "I was worried we would be too late."**

" **They kept us worried this whole time. What are they doing?!" grumbled Nora, but was no less relieved than Ozpin.**

" **I appreciate everything you've done," said Blake, "You haven't eaten since yesterday, right?"**

" **Now that you've mentioned it, I'm starting to feel hungry now that everything's okay," said Ozpin as he scratched the back of his head.**

" **Can we?" asked Nora, hopeful.**

 **Blake chuckled at the tone. The elder faunus wasn't known for treating after all.**

" **Mistral BBQ!" announced Ilia, "We must have Mistral BBQ! At a really expensive place!"**

" **Stupid!" shouted Nora angrily, "That won't fill my stomach! A buffet! At a place with ice cream!"**

" **Stop fighting," said Penny, "Let's compromise by going to a gas station."**

" **How is that a compromise?!" asked Ozpin.**

 **Blake closed her eyes, a fond, distant smile on her face at the sight of the antics before her.**

" **Go on ahead," she said, "I'll join you once Jaune and Sundae are back."**

"But if they're not there, who'll keep Blake safe…?" asked Ruby with worry.

 **Nora ran to the door, and opened it.**

" **Please hurry," said Ozpin politely, "We'll wait for you before we start eating."**

" **But the ice cream doesn't count, right?" insisted Nora, "I can eat ice cream while we're waiting, right?"**

 **Nora's declaration led to another argument about where they were actually going to eat as the door closed. Blake just watched quietly as she heard the voices of the people who left die down.**

 **Blake went to her office afterward to take care of some final business for the day…**

"No… did she just…" said Sun who figured out what Blake's counterpart was doing.

"Blake… talk to us," said Yang, worried, "You know what she's planning, don't you."

"If they're under the impression things will be fine... then, they won't stop her," elaborated Blake.

"Stop her from what?" asked Yang.

"…"

"Blake?" asked Yang, firmly.

"To protect them from Taurus, I imagine," answered Winter.

"WHAT?!" Ruby, Weiss, and Yang shouted in horror.

 **Jaune ignored the stares as moved as quickly as he could with the bloody body on his back, and his legs jerkily moving through the broken concrete and leg holes in the bottom of the trash can.**

"It's Jaune!" cried out Ruby with hope in her voice.

 **After Jaune dove into the pier, he forced his aura into his legs and tried to loosen the concrete Sunny had shattered through the use of his semblance. He was able to break enough of it to kick some holes through the bottom, and swim. Getting out of the water had been quite the chore, even more so with Roman's body adding to the weight, but he pulled it off. Jaune had been forced to rest with Roman's bleeding body for a time before he could break more of the concrete to be able to get up and move. With each step, then stride, he could take, the concrete cracked and loosened further until it finally became easier to move around. However, with Roman's condition, rapid heavy movement would have made things worse.**

"He _did_ get Roman," said Coco, "Why?"

"It doesn't matter," said Yang, "He just needs to get there before Blake goes through her stupid plan," said Yang.

Blake flinched at how angry Yang was.

 **He saw Ozpin in the distance, distracted by Nora, Penny, and Ilia, and Jaune caught his second wind. When he was close enough, he tossed the body forward over to Ozpin.**

" **Oh, sorry," he heard Ozpin say, "Waaah! He's covered in blood! Sorry! Is this my fault?! Huh… It's Roman…"**

 **Jaune charged up his semblance again, and ran past Ozpin and the others. He ignored their calls as he was now free to kick and break off the rest of the concrete trash can without the body of Roman restricting him. His semblance strengthened him, and he ran as fast as he could.**

' **Granny! I've got to get to Granny! Danger…!' was the only thought on his mind as the rain clouds got thicker.**

"Come on, Jaune! Get to her!" called out Velvet.

"Please make it…" said Pyrrha.

Blake just watched, unable to look at her now quiet teammates.

 **In a cemetery, Blake knelt before the grave of her wife with her preferred food offering: her manju dumplings. She never quite saw the point in wasting perfectly good food but it was a Mistral custom, and one of the few old-fashioned traditions her late wife followed. Yang would often joke that if she died she would want to have a nice treat on the way to the other side.**

"Manju dumplings… doesn't dad make those sometimes?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah… It's a family recipe that was brought over when our ancestors on his side of the family colonized Eastern Sanus," said Yang, "They're not bad, but they could be a little sweeter."

"I guess my counterpart makes a version you like…" said Blake quietly.

"I guess so…" said Yang.

 **As the incense burned, Blake felt a familiar presence as her ears perked.**

" **It's rare to see you here," said Blake, not turning around, "I'm assuming that you brought flowers."**

 **Adam stood a good distance behind her.**

"Oh no!" squeaked Ruby.

Everyone sucked in a small breath.

" **Hell no," said Adam, grimly, "Did you want me to bring flowers for you, Blake?"**

" **It's been years since you've spoken to me, and that's all you have to say? You never change" replied Blake, "If you lay me to rest next to my husband, I suppose I can't complain."**

"Where is Jaune?" demanded Weiss.

"He's running as fast as he can," said Nora.

"It's not fast enough," insisted Weiss.

Ilia was surprised at the worry Weiss showed toward Blake, a faunus. However with how things were going in the universe they were watching, she held her tongue.

 **Jaune slammed the door to the bar wide open, and saw it empty. He panted, and searched for Blake, only to find a note on the counter.**

 **He got it, opened it, and read the contents…**

 _ **I'm sick of waiting for you to pay the rent. Take your fools and scram. Never come back to this town. - Blake**_

" **That stupid, old hag…" he ground out before taking off again.**

"I would be angry too, if you did that," said Yang.

Blake looked at her.

"Yang… She's doing this to protect-"

"NO!" shouted Yang, "Blake… if you did that to us, how do you think we'd feel. We'd be terrified for you."

"You promised to talk to us if things were bothering you as well," added Weiss icily, "Don't think I've forgotten that."

"We're a team Blake. We do things together," said Ruby, in as scolding a manner as possible, "Doing things like that… It'll break us."

Blake's head sank a little in shame.

 **Back at the cemetery Adam stared at Blake's back for a moment.**

" **I heard that you took care of my kid?" he said.**

" **Save your thanks for that idiot," she scoffed as she thought of Jaune, protecting and looking after Sunday the way he did, "Though apparently, that kid of yours got him good. She's quite a dutiful daughter. She came all the way here to clean this town for the sake of a stupid father who abandoned her."**

 **Adam stared**

" **We've both been dancing to the tune of a little kid," mused Blake, "The years haven't been kind to us. Well, I suppose you knew what was happening. The villain Adam Taurus can't go against the daughter he left in tears?"**

"Wait… she came to clean up the town? As in getting rid of all the gangsters?" asked Coco.

"Well, he was a vigilante right? So that meant he used to go against crooks on his own," said Sun.

"But why would Sunday decide to take up her father's old cause? Isn't he a gangster now?" asked Velvet.

"He is, but the girl works for him," said Ironwood, "I believe I have his strategy figured out. By having his daughter set things in motion, one of the four leaders will be eliminated, and a second one is already under duress. It would allow him to focus on two enemies as opposed to three. It's a very complex plan, and the fact they were able to pull it off shows just how intelligent and cunning they are."

"Adam was made leader of the Vale chapter of the White Fang for a reason. I suppose it would be no different for him to be a leader in another universe as well," said Blake.

 **Adam frowned a little, but did not object.**

" **Blake," he started instead, "Get out of this town. This place will become a battlefield very soon. It was going to happen even if my kid didn't rush things along. You'll only get in the way if you stay."**

"Wait… he's giving you an out?" asked Ilia.

"Guess a small part of him still cares about you," said Sun.

Blake looked to the monkey faunus, and the blank expression he had.

" **So, you were planning on starting a war, period," said Blake sadly before she looked to Yang's grave, "I would have hoped you wouldn't say those words in her presence, even as a joke. Policewoman and vigilante. The two of you were both protecting this town, despite your different positions, but I suppose that was in the past."**

 **Blake got up, and faced the man who intended to strike her down.**

" **Adam," she said fearlessly, square in the eye, "You went so far as to abandon your wife and child, so you could do this?"**

 **Adam stared at her as it began to rain.**

" **Times have changed," began Adam, "A vigilante can't protect anything," he looked to Yang's grave, "She died and left you behind," he looked back to Blake, "Your methods are old-fashioned. You're just a nuisance, both you and Yang. This town doesn't need you anymore."**

 **Adam smirked.**

" **This town belongs to me," he said smugly before he tilted his blade for a draw, "I'll give you one more chance. Get out of this town."**

Blake thought on the last set of words.

" _Your methods are old-fashioned. You're just a nuisance, both you and Yang. This town doesn't need you anymore."_

It was eerie hearing those words. It reminded her of the conversation she had with Adam. The last one before the train heist in Forever Fall. She had tried to get Adam to tone down the casualty rate, that it could give the public more reason to not trust the White Fang's mission to bring equality to faunus the world over.

" _That's the old way of thinking. We need to move on to something more real. Something that will make humanity regret the actions they took against us throughout history," Adam had scoffed._

Blake shivered at the similarity, especially since the face of the Adam on the VHS's screen was exactly what Adam's was when he told her those words a year ago.

 **Blake simply pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.**

" **I have a favor to ask…"**

 **Adam looked to her.**

"A favor…?" asked Blake.

"A last request…" commented Sun, "Gangs will sometimes honor them."

" **They call me one of the Four Devas, but I don't have any members in my faction. My life is all you need," said Blake, "They serve no use at all."**

 **The old cat faunus smiled, an image in her mind: an elderly "cat lady" as that jackass Jaune would probably say, surrounded by a merry band of idiots, and their stupid giant dog, Zwei, willing to live with and stick by her.**

" **They just happen to be my family," said Blake with a smile.**

Blake felt tears go down her cheeks.

 **Adam's thumb loosened the blade as he gripped his sheathe with his left hand.**

" **Is that your answer?"**

 **The scene cut off to the raining sky…**

"Wait! What happened?!" cried out Ruby.

"Look, it's Jaune!" pointed out Nora.

 **Jaune trudged through the cemetery as he gasped for air. The rain was pouring hard now, but it did little to cool him down after the marathon he ran. He knew Blake well enough to know that this was one of the few places she ever went out to, and that if the end was near, her wife's grave would be one of her last stops.**

 **He coughed as he searched, his lungs desperately pumping oxygen throughout his body.**

 **He stopped…**

 **His eyes widened…**

 **Blake was next to her husband's grave. Her body gave the illusion of a peaceful recline, but the blood told otherwise.**

Everyone's breath hitched, and some the students began to feel tears fall from their eyes while others felt only fury within their hearts. The adults were equally shocked at the scene, but having witnessed death many times before, they were able to control their emotions. Glynda and Ozpin though did allow their teeth to grind at the sight.

 **Jaune stared dumbly at Blake's body. He knew what he saw, he just couldn't believe it…**

" **You're Jaune?" said the voice of an older man, "You were a step too late. I buried her with her husband. Funny how it works."**

 **Jaune understood now: this man was Adam.**

" **I believe that you were serving as her bodyguard to pay back a debt?" continued Adam as he smoked, "That's over now. Your job is done."**

"Wait a second… A bodyguard?" asked Ruby.

"Why would Jaune be Blake's bodyguard? I thought she wasn't a gangster?" asked Weiss.

"It would explain why Jaune's office is right above Blake's?" asked Velvet.

"What debt could Jaune owe that he would do that for me?" asked Blake.

 **Adam took a puff from his pipe.**

" **Scram," said Adam, "I'll spare your life for her sake."**

 **THWACK**

 **Adam flew back from the sudden blow of wood against his face. He was hit with such force, that he crashed through a tombstone, and cracked a second one not too far behind it. As soon as his body hit the ground, he coughed a little.**

"Damn… That's going to leave a mark," said Qrow.

"A mark isn't going to be enough," muttered Ilia.

"Neither will a few broken bones, but that's just my opinion," said Sun, equally angry at what befell Blake.

" **Ouch…" Adam groaned lightly, "The hell was that?"**

 **His eyes snapped to a sudden presence above him, and he blinked in surprise.**

 **Jaune was above, both his hands on his wooden blade's handle, prepared to bludgeon Adam's head in. What caught Adam's attention though was the blonde's eyes, and the wild white aura that flared around him. His pupils were dilated with red veins along the corners of the whites of his eyes, and his aura was so potent, a child could tell the emotion and intent that radiated from it:**

 **Fury, and murder.**

RWBY, and NPR gasped at the sight.

Jaune was furious, and although they had seen Jaune furious in that potential future with Juniper, this felt different. With the future with Juniper his fury, while frightening, was still very controlled. In this universe, in this one moment, it was unbridled and suffocating.

 **Adam quickly drew his blade just enough to stop the wooden sword, but his sword was nudged back slightly. Despite the fact that the sheer force of the blow should have sliced it, the wooden sword in Jaune's hands held firm. Adam was honestly impressed.**

" **Not bad, kid," grunted Adam to the furious blonde, "You made me draw my sword. But are you willing to let Blake's efforts to save your lives… go to waste?"**

 **Jaune snapped even further, and he moved to attack more. Adam completed his draw, and forced Jaune back. Jaune however, lunged as soon as he landed, and swung down at Adam wildly. Each blow sent shockwaves throughout the air, and even temporarily disrupted the rainfall around them for a second. He didn't care if it wasn't in proper form, Jaune just wanted to cave the bastard's skull in the most brutal way he could.**

"Get him Jaune, kick his ass!" shouted Yang.

"You can do it! Justice for our teammate!" added Ruby.

"Give him what he deserves!" cried out Weiss.

"Guys…" said Blake.

 **Adam blocked every strike of Jaune's infuriated assault, and through it all the wooden sword held. Jaune poured a lot of energy into one of his strikes, but Adam parried it and made an opening into Jaune's guard. He sheathed his blade, and tilted. His hand hovered along the handle for a mere moment before, he grasped the hilt, and drew. The blow was not a slash to slice, but rather, a pommel strike to Jaune's sword hand. The blonde flew into another gravestone, and Adam did not once take his eyes off his enemy as Jaune bounced off the tombstone back to Adam.**

 **Adam sheathed his blade again, and activated his aura, prepared for another draw.**

" **You're not being very reasonable."**

 **Adam drew the blade, and Jaune's wooden weapon cracked and buckled from the force of Adam's strike. The shattered blade pieces spun through the air as Adam sheathed his blade.**

"He lost…" said Ilia, anger and disappointment in her voice.

" **It's over," Adam said.**

 **Jaune was not having that though. He grabbed one of the spinning pieces of his wooden blade with his left hand, and drove it into Adams's shoulder.**

"Not yet, he hasn't!" declared Nora.

"He didn't even use his semblance for that," Ren observed.

"He breached his aura with brute force," elaborated Pyrrha, proud of the accomplishment of her partner's counterpart.

 **As blood gushed out, Adam turned to his wound in surprise. He saw Jaune's right hand twitch, another impromptu stake from broken weapon already in its hand. His arm began to go for another hit, but Adam drew the blade and stabbed Jaune between right arm's radial bone and ulna.**

"Now he's lost…" said Winter.

"Yes… While I can understand his fury, he lost his focus against a calmer, more collected enemy," said Ozpin.

"Recall that future we saw, what Jaune said to Ms. Xiao Long's possible daughter," said Glynda, "Anger can be a weapon…"

"Only if you can control it," finished Blake.

 **The thrust of Adam pinned Jaune into a nearby tombstone. The two stared at one another's eyes. Adam's gaze was calm and assessing, while Jaune's was overflowing with bloodlust.**

" **I heard that Blake was keeping a crazy monster around," began Adam calmly, "So, you're the White Demon. I never knew there was a freak like you following in my footsteps."**

"The White Demon?" asked Ilia.

"Seeing how pissed Jaune was, I can see that," said Sun.

"Follow in his footsteps…?" asked Blake.

 **Adam frowned as Jaune tried to grab for the blade that had him pinned.**

" **However, a generation managed to survive the brutal battles of the Remnant War. There are plenty more like you out there. Get lost, watchdog," said Adam, "There's nothing for you to protect here."**

 **Jaune made to move, despite his position, but Adam simply delivered a hard fist to his face. The force of the blow cracked the gravestone he back was against, and dislodged the blade from his arm. He didn't stop as he flew through five more grave stones in respectively adjacent rows, before he landed hard on a sixth the broke with the impact. Adam stared at the floating dust for a moment before he calmly, apathetically walked away.**

"Oh no…" said Ruby sadly.

"Jaune lost…" said Velvet with drooped ears.

"The power gap is also greater than I thought it would be," commented Ironwood grimly.

 **Jaune's breath was haggard, and he was bleeding. His body was sore. The wound didn't pierce any veins or arteries, but it hurt.**

 **He could deal with that pain though.**

 **It was the pain he felt in his heart and soul that was worse.**

 **He tried to get up, but as soon as he stood, he fell hard on his face.**

 **With his good arm, he began to drag himself through the cold rain…**

… _ **The snow was cold, and he was freezing. He and his comrades just lost a war, and he was now out of work with the Grimm gone. People were already beginning to forget about huntsmen, and some were praising the Amanto for saving Remnant.**_

' _ **Guess we're just dead men walking,' thought Jaune, 'Maybe I'll save people some trouble and wait things out here.'**_

"Jaune…" gasped Pyrrha, horrified by the thought.

"This seems to be a memory," said Ozpin.

 _ **At that moment, Jaune smelled something as he heard the crunching of the snow in the graveyard. There was a sound of a settled weight, and he smelled… pastries?**_

 _ **He glanced over his shoulder and saw an old cat faunus with her eyes closed, hands in prayer. He glanced down at the pastries, manju dumplings he recalled, laid before the grave he was leaning on. He leaned back, and looked up at the snowy sky. He liked manju… some of the surviving soldiers of Mistral would eat them to keep spirits up. He looked up at the sky briefly and wondered…**_

" _ **Hey, granny. Are those Manju?" Jaune asked after a moment as he rested against the tombstone of the cemetery, "Can I have a bite? I'm starving to death here."**_

 _ **The elderly cat faunus blinked in surprise, before she chuckled.**_

" _ **These belongs to my wife. Ask her," she said.**_

 _ **Jaune turned and crawled to the front of the grave, and stared at it for a moment. A moment later, Jaune was eating the dumplings. The filling in his stomach was staving off the pain, and made him eat faster.**_

" _ **What did my wife say?" the cat faunus asked.**_

" _ **Beats me. The dead don't talk," said Jaune in between chews and swallows.**_

 _ **The cat faunus frowned.**_

" _ **You're just asking for it," she said, "Don't blame me if you get cursed."**_

 _ **Jaune wanted to laugh, but was too busy eating. He didn't believe in curses, not the ones in stories anyway. However, he had seen serendipity with his own eyes from time to time. Just like right now, actually. At perhaps his lowest moment, some old lady with food showed up, and when his stomach made demands of him, compelling him to ask, she did not say "No."**_

" _ **The dead don't talk, and they don't eat manju," said Jaune simply, "So I made a one-sided promise."**_

 _ **Blake's eyes looked interested.**_

 _ **Jaune pulled himself up to genuflect to the grave, his head and voice solemn.**_

" _ **I won't forget this debt. Your wife doesn't have that much longer to live, but I'm going to protect her in your stead…"**_

Blake and Yang both felt tears drip down their faces.

"He made it up…!" Blake cried out, "He… He didn't… He didn't have to chain himself to me! All that… for some food?"

"All that for an act of kindness," corrected Ozpin quietly.

 **Jaune stopped crawling, and looked up to see the old lady that had taken him in, and put up with him and his antics for so long. She had been cut down, but had such a peaceful expression on her face.**

 **Jaune grit his teeth.**

" **Granny…"**

 **Jaune's face fell into the mud.**

 **First his friends during the Remnant War, now an old woman in peace time.**

' **Even now, I'm a useless excuse of a huntsman…' he cursed.**

…

The lights went up as the scene faded, and Blake got onto her feet. Before she could get two feet away, a strong hand gripped her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" said Yang.

Blake turned to her partner, tears in her eyes.

"Are you going to run away? Again?" asked Yang, her own tears flowing down.

"I…"

Blake was cut off when gentle arms wrapped around her waist. She looked down to see Ruby holding on tight, fearful she'd go.

"Don't go… Please," sobbed Ruby.

"Ruby…" said Blake, but she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She turned to see Weiss on the verge of tears before she too wrapped her arms around Blake.

"You're staying with us, whether you like it or not," said Yang before she pulled Blake and the rest of their team into a powerful bear hug, "So if you want to go somewhere, fine. But you're taking us with you, you hear?"

Blake saw Yang's eyes and tears, and she began to cry openly as she surrendered to the team embrace.

"Yes… That would be nice," said Blake as she wept.

"Let's take a break everyone," said Archie.

Qrow got his flask and started to take a swig.

Ozpin and Glynda got up to stretch their legs along with Ironwood and Winter. In the meantime, Coco, Velvet, Sun, and Ilia, along with Jaune's teammates went over to offer their support to Team RWBY. As this was going on, Archie noticed something on the VHS console. It was a small blue light under the word "Dream."

'I didn't set the VHS to show content to a canonical's dream…' he thought.

If not him, then who?

 **A/N: So… Anyone care to guess who I paired Adam with? I played with the name, but it's pretty obvioust's super obvious, but I'll find out how you all feel about that in the reviews.**

 **Also, I will be a taking brief, hopefully, break from this story. I have another story idea in my head, as well as my second wind for** _ **Team ANVL**_ **. I've only got three more chapters to go on that one, and I want to finish that before taking on another project.**

 **Thank you all for understanding.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes: **

**Blake's husband in the universe was set between Yang and Sun initially. I settled on Yang though, since I figured Sun X Blake, which I ship it along with Sunny Bees, was a little too predictable. Even with Yang though, I had the option of doing Rule 63 Yang, or regular Yang. I decided to use the latter, which now that I think about it makes this the first Yuri pairing I've written since high school.**

 **Thank you for reading, and please review.**

 **Preview: Intermission, and Omake.**


	13. Intermission

**Short intermission before going back into the reactions. Mostly because I have a bunch of ideas I want to get out ASAP. I will address how Blake is feeling, and what the dream light was on the VHS at the end of the last chapter was though. Anyway, enjoy**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.**

Chapter 13 – Intermission

Blake sat in the room alone, and stared at the scenery out the window. She knew it was an illusion set up by Archie to give them a sense of time, but she found the scene of the Beacon moat comforting.

Knock-Knock.

"Hey Blake, we have some tea. Ilia made it," said Yang as she opened the door.

"Chamomile," said Weiss.

"With some honey," added Ruby, "A touch of sweet to make everything better.

Blake didn't face them.

"Or… you know, for flavor," amended Ruby.

Blake winced at Ruby's hurt tone, and she put up a small smile.

"…Thanks, guys," said Blake as she turned to them.

"You want it by the bed?" asked Yang.

"Yes, please," said Blake.

The three girls gathered around, and set the tea down. They didn't say a word as Blake took the cup, and stirred her tea. She was grateful for the silence as she drank, however brief it may last. For the past hour, her thoughts on what she had witnessed: a bleeding body of another self, and a broken, other, Jaune.

"So, what are you thinking?" asked Ruby.

"A lot of things…" said Blake, who put her tea on a nightstand.

"Seeing yourself… like that?" ventured Weiss.

"Dead?" asked Blake; Weiss flinched, "Yes… and Jaune acting that way, we aren't exactly friends… Well, at least not in the way Ruby and Yang are."

She could not believe she could inspire such a reaction from the blonde knight. Still, the sheer fury and hatred Jaune used in his fight against Adam in that universe was evident, which made her think on her current relationship with her reality's Jaune.

"Well, Weiss isn't either, not yet anyway, but he'd still fight for her. For all of us if we needed the help. Why's it hard to believe that Jaune wouldn't act that way for you," said Ruby.

Blake was quiet for a moment, before she took a breath.

"I never did tell you the first time Jaune and I ever interacted…" said Blake, which got everyone's attention, "I told Ilia earlier that I didn't have much of a reason to interact with him, save for the joint team exercises Ruby would hold once in a while. That didn't mean _he_ didn't try to talk to me…"

…

" _Hey, Blake!" called out Jaune._

 _Blake who was sitting under a tree looked up from her book and saw the blonde approach him._

" _Hey… um, I was wondering. Are you busy?" asked Jaune as he approached her._

"… _Yes," she replied politely, holding up her book._

" _Oh, right, sorry. Well I um, I was wondering, when you have the time of course, if you could help me with something?" asked Jaune._

" _If this is about trying to court Weiss, then I'm afraid I can't help you there," said Blake._

" _What…?" No! Well, good to know, but no, that's not what I need help with," said Jaune, "I was actually hoping if you could spar with me."_

 _Blake blinked in surprise._

" _Oh…?" she asked._

" _You… know my situation: about my training," said Jaune._

" _Your lack thereof, you mean?" asked Blake._

"… _Yeah," winced Jaune, "Pyrrha's helping me, but I don't want to get used to fighting against one particular style. I saw you in combat class earlier, and I thought maybe I could spar with you. I want to get used fighting against different kinds of fighters, and… I figured, you might be willing to help me?"_

 _Blake was quiet, and she mulled it over._

" _Or, if you're too busy, maybe some other-"_

" _Alright," answered Blake._

" _You mean it? Really?" asked Jaune excited._

 _Blake nodded, and stood up._

" _Training room. Fifteen minutes,"_ _said Blake._

…

"So you and Jaune trained together?" asked Weiss, "When was this?"

Blake winced a little.

"The week I ran away…" she said.

"The week… Wait, wasn't Jaune injured at that… time…?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah…" said Blake.

…

 _Jaune struggled to keep up with Blake. Just when he thought he had her, it was just another clone. Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his ankle, and –_

" _Oof!" grunted Jaune as he fell to his face._

" _You've gotten better… from what I've seen in combat class anyway," commented Blake as she undid Gambol Shroud's ribbon from his ankle._

" _Thanks for being nice, I guess…" groaned Jaune._

" _I mean it. It's a big improvement, considering how it's just been a few weeks since Forever Fall," commented Blake as she pulled him up to his feet._

" _Pyrrha's putting me through a lot," said Jaune, "But I'll do whatever it takes to get to where I need to be, and then some."_

 _Blake nodded at his determination._

" _So… one more round?" asked Jaune._

" _We've been through four already. You should rest," said Blake._

" _I doubt an actual bad guy will give me time to rest," said Jaune, "Just one more. Please?"_

 _Blake stared at him for a brief moment, and then nodded._

" _One more, and not another round," said Blake._

 _Jaune nodded and got into a stance, as did Blake. Blake launched immediately, and Jaune charged at her as well. Blake drew forth her cleaver, and swung it at Jaune's shield. She followed up by raising up her katana and swung the pommel down to hammer her first blade._

 _However, Jaune did something Blake didn't expect: he took a backstep._

 _In all her observations Jaune would either charge desperately, or hold his ground till he buckled or caved. Jaune was doing something different._

 _Blake smiled._

 _Blake cast a clone and leapt back, which was good since Jaune had returned to riposte with his sword. The horizontal slash had inflicted on the clone ripped through it with ease. While the blow was certainly inelegant, she saw her clones destroyed by opponents enough times to recognize the sheer power behind Jaune's strike._

" _Good," called out Blake, "You're learning. A battle always changes; do not be afraid to change your tactics and patterns mid-battle. If you can keep your opponent guessing, especially against fighters that utilize agility and subterfuge, like myself, you strengthen your own chances of winning."_

" _Got it," said Jaune, before he charged at Blake._

 _Blake dashed to the side, and moved to strike. She hit Jaune at the side, and he grunted at the blow. Jaune then delivered a strike to her again, but she backed off, as she remembered the blow dealt to her clone from before. Blake noticed that Jaune did not pursue her. He had done so in their previous spars, but she supposed enough beat downs taught him to not to run after her. In a case of speed, Blake would always outclass him, especially since he wore armor._

' _Hit-and-Run strategy then,' she decided in her mind, and she picked up speed._

 _She'd whittle him down, then go in for the kill, so to speak._

 _Blake charged, and Jaune wound up to strike her, but Blake formed a clone in front of her just as Jaune swung. She leapt above him, just the blow connected with her proxy, and delivered a strike. Jaune noticed, and rolled off to the side to avoid the hit._

' _Got you!' she declared in her mind._

 _With her quick reflexes, she made another clone, and kicked it to use it as a springboard. She sprung to strike him before he could get up-_

 _Slip…_

 _Blake saw the world slide, and she noticed that just as she landed to strike, her foot landed on Jaune's shield and she slid. A brief moment of eye contact, and she saw that Jaune was just as shocked as she was._

"Hang on! You landed on his shield, and slipped?!" interrupted Weiss.

"It slipped from his arm as he rolled," said Blake.

"Wow, talk about lucky," said Ruby.

"You think?"

"Why? What happened?" asked Yang.

Blake sighed…

 _As Blake landed on her back, the shield shot out from under her foot, and Jaune, who had paused from standing back up from the shock of Blake's literal slipup, did not notice his own shield shoot at him until it was too late._

 _POP!_

" _Argh!" cried out Jaune as he clasped his shoulder._

" _Oof… Oh gods, Jaune!" yelped Blake._

…

Blake's three teammates stared.

"…"

"…"

"So… you won the spar?" asked Yang.

"…Yes," sighed Blake a little embarrassed.

"Is that why you were also ducking out every time we went to visit Jaune, and the rest of JNPR that week?" asked Ruby.

"We explained what happened to the rest of his team at the nurse's office. They all understood, but I was so embarrassed by how our first actual interaction ended. Then I blurted out I was a faunus, I ran away, and then when I came back, I came up with any excuse to avoid Jaune outside of class until the semester ended. Then with the White Fang at the start of this semester, and everything else… I had my reasons to avoid talking to him," said Blake.

Ruby scooted closer to Blake.

"Well then, it's decided. When we get back we are going to have you and Jaune have a sit down" said Ruby, and Blake seemed to pale at the thought.

"He hasn't made it an issue…" objected Blake.

Her team, even Weiss, gave pointed stares.

"What?" asked Blake.

"Blake, remember what you said in Mountain Glenn? How sometimes it felt like you ran away from tough situations… Sounds like you're trying to run away from something," said Yang.

"I'm not-" Blake was off.

"Accidents happen in practice," scoffed Weiss, "You apologized to him, and told the rest of his team it was an accident, yes?" Blake nodded, "Then you don't have to worry about him being upset."

Blake was quiet.

"You're hanging onto something that he might not care about anymore, and it's holding you back in forming an actual friendship with him," said Yang, "I mean, it's not like Jaune's gone all Cardin Winchester on you, or anything, right?"

"No, he hasn't," said Blake.

"Well there you go. You can still open that door to friendship. And remember last night? How we all promised we'd get stronger together? asked Yang, which got nods from her teammates, "How can we get stronger unless we communicate more?

Blake thought on it.

"I guess…" they stared at her more, "You're right. I'll sit down with him, and talk to him," sighed Blake.

"Good, now come here!"

Blake then went still when Yang presented herself, ready to hug. Blake realized her mistake in showing Yang weakness when the blonde's cheery smile turned into a teasing one.

"Come on, give Momma Yang a hug! I'll help you forget any other worries you might have before we watch more stuff," said Yang in a sing-song tone.

"Yang…" warned Blake.

"Awww… come on. I can totally _comfort_ you," teased Yang sultrily as she wagged her eyebrows, "Who knows, maybe you'll find out what your counterpart liked."

"Yang, if you try to hug me, I will pour all your shampoo down the drain when we get out of here," threatened Blake.

Yang stared and burst out laughing, her arms lowered to clutch her sides.

"Well… if y-your this grumpy… you m-must be feeling at least a little better," laughed Yang.

Blake sighed, along with Ruby and Weiss.

"Such concern. You truly are my best friend," said Blake, deadpanned.

"I try to be…" Yang said before she slowly stopped laughing and settled herself, "You know that, right?"

Blake recognized the more sober tone of her partner, and looked to her with a smile.

"I know you do… _friend_ ," she said, a subtle emphasis on the last part.

Yang smiled, and hugged Blake.

"Yang!" yelped Blake.

"Group hug, guys! Before she gets away!"

"What-?"

Ruby latched onto the duo.

"Ruby!" yelped Blake.

"Weiss, quick!" said Ruby.

Weiss stared for a moment, and Blake dared to hope Weiss wouldn't validate the unauthorized snuggles of their teammates.

"…Fine," she relented.

Weiss hugged the three, and Blake sighed in resignation… then she smiled.

"Thanks…" said Blake.

xXxXx

Once again, there was no contact from Lord Aeon.

The "Dream" light had been active, which meant that someone in the multiverse had witnessed the events of the last viewing, or at least a portion of it. He certainly didn't do it; he'd suffer severe consequences for him to do so without authorization.

'Only Aeon could activate it remotely. Him, or… No, it can't be,' he thought to himself.

He had heard the stories from other archivists. It was not unprecedented for the gods to influence individuals. In the distant past, the gods actively influenced mortals: directly among them, or through dreams. Such measures were meant to guide mortals down the proper path for their lives, but it didn't last. As the multiverse expanded, so did the ambitions of several of the other gods and goddesses.

Tools that were meant to guide mortals were used by these beings to attack the followers of rival gods, to bring down those who offended them personally, and to expand their influence in universes they were not meant to exist in or had been set aside for other gods by the Supreme One.

In fact, these ambitions gods and goddesses had so offended the Surpeme One with their actions that after publicly rebuking them before all the celestial beings, and banishing them to the void, he had given a directive to Lord Aeon to deny any god but the Supreme One himself from making such decisions.

"…Is the Supreme One involved in this?" Archie thought to himself.

He hoped so in the sense that he did not want to be brought before the Supreme One to answer for a rule he did not break.

That still begged the question: Who viewed it?

xXxXx

A shirtless Adam washed his face in the bathroom of a White Fang safe house in Vale.

"What was that…?" he asked himself.

It was a strange dream: him being older… with a child.

" _Do you know why he abandoned his own wife and daughter to come to this town?" asked Sunny, with a tinge of bitterness to her voice despite the sweet smile, "That's because the girl, Miss Blake, is here."_

Adam had woken up after that sentence was said.

"I had a wife… and child?"

Adam didn't know what to think. He knew he didn't sleep around, and if he did have a child, it would have been after _he_ led the faunus to true freedom…

'With Blake…' he thought bitterly.

Blake had been on his mind ever since she left him, and the cause, many of those thoughts were negative. That dream though…

Could he truly have obsessed over his former lover so much he would leave a wife and daughter behind?

 _Knock! Knock!_

Adam left the bathroom, grabbed his sword, and opened the door and saw one of his lieutenants.

"What is it?" he asked

"Sorry for disturbing you sir, but that woman is here…"

He frowned, and went out into the hallway to greet Cinder.

"Sir, don't you want to put on a shirt first?" asked his subordinate.

"No, the sooner we deal with this, the sooner I can go back to sleep," growled Adam.

The White Fang chapter leader stepped into another room, and was greeted by Cinder and her…

"Adam, a pleasure to see you," she said with her usual confident manner, "I trust you've settled comfortably in Vale."

"Where are the other two?" asked Adam.

"Emerald and Mercury? I had no idea you were so fond of them," said Cinder.

"I'm not. They're just always around you unless…" he replied, intentionally letting the thought end.

"So suspicious… They're doing some work for me at the moment" answered Cinder.

"What do you want?" growled Adam.

"To introduce you to a new ally," said Cinder sweetly, who gestured to the shadows in a corner in the room, "Meet Neo."

Adam groaned. Another annoyance, another…

A figure stepped forward from the shadows. She wore black suit pants, heels, a white dress shirt with a black suit vest, and a cream color suit coat. Her hand held a parasol, and she had brown and pink hair with heterochromatic eyes of the same clashing colors.

It was her face though that held his attention. She looked just like…

"…" Adam stared.

"An associate of ours is currently incarcerated, and our friend here needs a place to stay for the moment. I don't suppose you can entertain her as a guest for the time being?" said Cinder.

Adam continued to stare at Neo, who now looked at him curiously.

"…Fine. As long as she doesn't bother our operations," said Adam.

"Excellent," said Cinder, "Don't worry. This is only a temporary arrangement. After a few days, we'll pick her up, and take her off your hands."

Adam grunted, and the girl smiled. He kept his composure, and once Cinder left, he turned around to his lieutenant.

"Get a room ready for her," he said to him before he marched off to his own.

As soon as he got to his room, the composed face of Adam slipped into one of confusion.

'She had my…' Adam steeled himself for the idea he still struggled to get used to, 'She had my daughter's face… And her smile…'

The night had taken a strange turn, and it didn't look like he'd be getting much sleep after all.

xXxXx

Archie had returned to the viewing room, and he saw that RWBY returned. Every one of his guests was also there, and watched the scene Miss Belladonna being fussed over by Amitola.

"Ilia, I'm fine," pleaded Blake.

"You saw yourself stabbed and bleeding," said Ilia, "How are you fine?"

Blake looked to her team, and then to her.

"As old as the reason gets: it's another universe," said Blake who then gave Ilia a small smile, "I also have my friend who went out of her way to brew the tea that I like. The tea was great, by the way."

Ilia flushed a little, and settled a little more.

"Oh, well, you're welcome," said Ilia, 'I should have given her the tea myself…' she mentally kicked herself.

As Ilia ranted to herself in her head, Sun and Velvet moved in and gave comforting hands on Blake's shoulder, as did the rest of Jaune's team. Archie cleared his throat, and approached the viewers as they turned to face him.

"I see everyone has settled. How are you, Ms. Belladonna?" said Archie.

"As you said: settled," replied Blake.

"Well, that is good," said Archie.

"We won't see more stuff like that, will we?" asked Ilia.

Archie shook his head.

"If you are referring to the ill events of Miss Belladonna, I cannot promise anything. Not everything we see will work out for those we know, I'm afraid. Some end tragically, just as much as some end well. Then again, such is the nature of life itself," said Archie.

"Oh…" said Ilia.

Blake put a hand on Ilia's shoulder.

"Don't worry. You weren't here when it was said, but so long as people we care about are here, we can get through watching some of this," said Blake, "I'm not going anywhere, and if you see something that unsettles you, I'll be here to help you just like I hoped I did when you told me your story."

Ilia blushed a little, and Pyrrha in particular noticed this.

"And, if you're willing to take the chance, the others are here for you too," added Blake.

Ilia looked away, and then back to Blake.

"I-"

Suddenly the door opened, and Archie turned to see…

"…You're kidding me," Archie muttered.

Tai Yang Xiao-Long stood like a deer in headlights with a baking dish of string bean casserole in his hands.

"Um… this isn't the dining room," said Tai as the door closed.

"Dad?!" cried out Ruby and Yang in surprise.

"Ruby? Yang? Qrow?" asked Tai, "What's going on? Where am I?"

The door opened again, and everyone including Tai Yang saw two people in dark clothes. One was a large burly man in a purple mantle lined with white fur, khaki pants, and black boots. He had chiseled pecs and abs with long, black hair, a bushy, black beard and a patch of black hair on his chest. The other, the woman, had cat ears and yellow eyes. She wore a black hakama, white tabi under sandals, a white sleeveless kimono, and a black one-sleeve shrug with gold trim.

Blake gasped.

"…Dad? Mom?" said Blake.

"Whoa, those are your parents?" asked Yang.

Blake's parents looked to their daughter, who they had not seen, or heard from in a long time.

"Blake?" said the woman, torn between relief and disbelief.

"Kitten…?" said the man, "Is this… What's this? How did we… How did you… Where are-?

The woman ran to Blake and scooped her up into her arms.

"MOM!" yelped Blake.

"I don't know if this is a dream or not, and I don't care," said the woman, with tears leaking in her eyes, "I've got you, little kitten."

Blake also felt the sting of heartfelt tears as her mother's embrace tightened with familiar hands rubbing her back. Her father came into view, and he tried to keep a straight face as well, but it was no use. He scooped both of them into his massive arms and held tight.

"So much hugging…" sniffled Blake.

"What?" asked her mother.

"…Nothing, I'm just… I'm so happy to see you," sniffled Blake, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry for the things I said to you before I left."

"That doesn't matter, kitten," said the man, "You're here, and you aren't pulling away. That's all that matters."

Archie did not want to end so heartwarming a scene, but he figured it best to get the newcomers' attention.

"Tai Yang Xiao-Long, Ghira and Kali Belladonna," commented Archie, which got everyone's attention, "I know this may be a shock to you three, but I can explain the situation."

The door reopened, and when they all turned to see who it was. Archie stared in alarm.

"Oh my… this isn't my charging station," said a girl with orange hair, and khaki dress with green and black highlights.

"Penny?" asked Ruby in surprise.

"Ruby!" responded cheerfully before bull-rushing her into a hug.

"Ohhh…! Why?" Ruby groaned as she was knocked down,

As soon as Penny got up, everyone was shocked when Archie grabbed Penny with speed that put Ruby to shame. He held up the girl by the head with one hand, and before Penny's defense system could register what was happening, a glowing hand from the archivist slammed into Penny's torso.

Penny's body glowed white in a brilliant flash, and Archie released Penny, who collapsed on the floor.

"Penny!" shouted Ruby who rushed to her friend's side.

"Hey! What's the big idea!" shouted Yang, as she stomped over to Archie.

Before she could grab Archie, the archivist pointed to the duo.

"Oh… my head," said Penny.

"Penny, are you okay?" asked Ruby, worried.

"I… I'm not sure," shivered Penny, "My sensors are offline… Wait…"

Penny blinked, and touched her face. She flexed her fingers, and stroked her dress. Then, Penny reached out to Ruby, and poked her nose.

"Penny?" asked Ruby.

"These sensations…"

Penny noticed her arm shake, and gripped her arm. The area began to relax, and there was a tingle that gave her a soothing… warmth?

"I feel… Is this 'chilly?" asked Penny, before an indescribable jolt rocked her to her core, "Is this 'feeling…?" Penny formed a smile, her processors – no, her brain registered this as an appropriate response, "I can _feel_ … Ruby, I can feel! I think I'm… a real girl!" declared Penny.

"Wait, what?!" asked Ruby.

"What do you mean, a 'real girl?" asked Ironwood.

"Simple," said Archie, "I turned Ms. Polendina into a human girl."

"Simple?!" balked Ironwood.

"How?" asked Ruby, excited.

"Magic, in a sense," said Archie, "Did you honestly expect me to let an android with Ms. Polendina's processing power roam freely in an archive that houses vast amounts of information. So long as she is in this archive, she will be in this state."

"Wait, this whole time, you were a robot?" asked Yang.

"That does explain her… eccentricities," said Weiss.

"I'm so confused," said Tai Yang.

"Ditto," said Blake's parents.

"I'll explain soon," said Archie.

Penny tried to get up, but struggled with sudden transition from hydraulics and gears to blood, muscle, and bone. Ruby immediately helped her up to her friend's feet.

"Thank you, Ruby. This will take some time for me to get used to," said Penny, "Hello General, Miss Winter. I'm real! Can you believe that?"

Ironwood looked numb, as he attempted to comprehend the idea of Atlas' taxpayer funded military project was converted to flesh and blood. Winter looked at her curiously, and stroked Penny's cheek.

"Your cheek's getting warm," commented Winter. The normally cold specialist smiled, "It's good to see you again, Penny."

"Especially now?" asked Penny excited.

"Yes," chuckled Winter.

Winter had met Penny both in the R&D phase, and in her early education several times. Penny's innocence always brought a smile to her face, as it reminded her of Weiss before she had been forced to grow up.

"Now then, if there are no interruptions, I can explain the situation our new guests are in," said Archie.

"Um wait, it there a place I can put this?" asked Tai Yang as he lifted up his casserole dish.

"Here dad, I'll show you," said Yang.

Before they could move though, the door opened again. Archie groaned, and when he and the rest of them turned to see who it was, Tai dropped the casserole.

"Raven…?" said Tai.

Raven Branwen stood still, her eyes as wide as Qrow's when she saw the people before her. Raven gripped her sword in panic to open a portal, but Archie waved his hand and dissolved it.

"The hell…?" she cried when her sword evaporated.

"More drama…. Yay," said Archie.

"Where am I?!" demanded Raven, "The hell is going on?"

"I want to know too," said Qrow.

Archie looked at the door, and when it seemed as though no one would set foot inside, he looked to all of them.

"Listen then, and I'll answer your question as to where you are, and why you're here," said Archie.

 **A/N: Like I said, a short intermission, and we get some new viewers. Hopefully it doesn't seem rushed.**

 **More viewers, a touch of drama, and still no word from Lord Aeon? Poor Archie.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes**

 **I always wondered why JNPR never got involved with looking for Blake at the end of volume 1. So I decided to come up with a reason while incorporating a harsh criticism I received in a previous chapter. Now that's taking lemons and making them lemonade.**

 **Penny is a real girl, at least in the Archive. How? Magic… or through powers each archivist has received from Lord Aeon. Depends on your interpretation. Why? Well, why not?**

 **I will head this off now before someone puts this in review: I am not shipping Ilia with Blake. Their interactions in this story are roughly modeled off of Pyrrha's interactions with Jaune. If nothing else, it will be a little cringe worthy about how obvious it is for some characters, and how oblivious Blake is throughout… Spoilers, I guess.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: Vignette Shorts**


	14. Vignettes

**Upon further thought, "vignette" probably works more than "omake" when it comes to describing this chapter.**

 **Here's how it's going to go: if I had an idea that wasn't big enough, content wise, for a full-scale chapter, or if I took a different route with a previous universe, or if something was just a silly one minute clip, it's going to be here.**

 **As such, these are** _ **not**_ **canonical to the main story. Think of this as a fun way to get ready for the upcoming chapters, and if people like these, I'll do them every now and then for fun.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth. The following franchises are also not owned by me.**

…

 **Into the Arc-hive: Vignettes**

Dragon Age Inquisition – Morning After

 **Four people walked through the forest. Ruby in black roguish armor with twin daggers, led Ren, who wore flamboyant mage robes and a staff at his back.**

"Wow! I'm a rogue! Yang, look!" cheered Ruby happily.

"Why am I not surprised? You always play the rogue characters when we co-op online," chuckled Yang.

"I appear to be a mage," said Ren.

"But you're a rogue too!" objected Nora.

"I guess I was trained differently," said Ren.

 **Further in the back, there was Roman Torchwick, a dwarf in roguish clothes and a repeating crossbow.**

"Torchwick?!" balked everyone in the room.

"I guess he's a companion, or at the very least, an ally of convenience," remarked Blake.

"He looks so funny with those little legs," said Ruby.

 **Finally, next to Roman was a giant, muscular, shirtless man with a rack of horns and deep blue eyes. There was a massive claymore on his back, a metal pauldron held in place by a leather harness.**

"Check out that faunus," said Sun.

"That's not just any faunus," said Pyrrha, "That's Jaune!"

"Are… are you sure?" asked Velvet.

"I know my partner's face anywhere…"said Pyrrha.

"Actually, that is not a faunus," stated Archie, "In this universe, Jaune is known as a Qunari to many humans in this world. It is a title used to describe both the race of a people and followers of a known as the Qun."

"I see…" Pyrrha trailed off, and she licked her lips when she saw his body, "That's a lot of muscle."

"Yeah…" said Yang, Velvet, Coco, Weiss, Blake, and Miss Goodwitch all at the same time.

" **You know, Arc, for a mercenary you have poor taste in names. Why go with 'Iron?' Iron is brittle. You should call yourself 'The Steel Arc,' or something," said Roman Torchwick.**

"He's a mercenary…? Makes sense," said Qrow, who observed Jaune's physique and weaponry.

"The Iron Arc?' What kind of name is that?" asked Weiss.

"Well, with a claymore that big, I can see it," pointed out Nora.

"Sounds like one of Yang's puns," said Weiss.

"I could come up with better," Yang snorted.

"Please don't," said Blake.

" **Steel Arc' was already taken by a pit fighter in Antiva City," said The Iron Arc, "I thought about 'Viridian,' but it turns out there's two exotic dancers in Llomeryn that use that. Identical twins…"**

 **Roman nodded his head in understanding.**

" **Silverite?" Roman suggested.**

" **Tavern in Rialto," replied The Iron Arc.**

" **Huh… So 'Iron' was the only thing left," said Roman.**

" **Well, I could have gone into textiles, but that sends the wrong message," said The Iron Arc.**

"Yeah… 'Silk Arc,' or 'Cotton Arc' wouldn't exactly strike fear in people," said Coco.

 **The Iron Arc noticed that Ren walked with a bit of a hobble, and decided to check up on him. When he caught up, he noticed Ren did not look in his direction. Deliberately.**

' **Guess he's still upset…' thought Jaune.**

"Why would you be upset?" asked Nora as she drank some water.

"Maybe we don't get along in this universe," said Ren.

' **Well… let's not make this awkward,' Jaune thought, "So, Ren, about last night."**

Qrow, and Nora did a spit take at that, while everyone else stared with wide eyes.

"Or… Maybe you actually get along very well," suggested Ilia.

Ren sat up straight, eyes glued to the screen in shock.

" **Discretion isn't your thing, is it?" sighed Ren.**

" **Three times!"**

"Oh my…" gasped Blake, and Weiss.

Velvet and Pyrrha both felt something trickle down their noses, and got napkins to wipe the blood.

Ren and Nora meanwhile were gaping like fish out of water.

"Your poor ass," said Coco.

"Miss Adel!" scolded Glynda.

"Have you seen the height and body difference between the two?" Coco gestured to the screen, "I mean, how would it all fit?!"

All the girls, Winter, Glynda, and Ren choked a little at the thought, while Sun and the grownup men cringed.

" **Also, do you want those silky underthings back or did you leave those like a token?" asked Jaune.**

"What…?!" gasped Pyrrha.

" **Or… Wait! Did you forget them so you'd have an excuse to come back?! You sly dog!"**

"NO!" shouted Nora.

" **If you choose to leave your door unlocked like a savage, I may or may not come," said Ren.**

" **Speak for yourself," said Jaune smugly.**

Ren shrunk in on himself with a flushed face, and he tightened his butt instinctively as a safety measure.

 **There was laughter, and Torchwick ran up to them.**

" **So, Arc? You and Ren?" asked Torchwick, who pulled out a journal and charcoal from his coat.**

" **Mm-hmm?" sounded off Jaune affirmatively.**

" **Two worlds tearing them apart: Tevinter and Qunari. With only love to keep them together," said Roman dramatically as he wrote into the journal.**

"Tevinter? What's that?" asked Ironwood, both out of curiosity and a desire to change the topic.

"Tevinter is the name of a human empire that the Qunari routinely invade. Ren is from Tevinter in this universe," explained Archie.

"Why is Torchwick writing in a journal?" asked Ilia.

"Roman Torchwick is a novelist of sorts here," answered Archie.

"Really…?" asked Blake, excitedly.

"A story of forbidden love…" swooned Velvet.

"Aww… How romantic," said Yang in a teasing voice, "Welcome to the club, Ren."

"Please don't conflate me with my counterpart," groaned Ren.

" **I don't see how this is even remotely your business, Roman," objected Ren.**

" **Could you make it sound angrier?" asked Jaune with a smirk, "Love' is a bit soft."**

" **Please, stop helping the dwarf!" cried Ren.**

" **How about 'passion?" suggested Roman.**

 **Ren looked horrified.**

"My word…" gasped Winter as she blushed.

Glynda blushed at the image her imagination gave her. A little itch creeped into her – NO!

'Bad thoughts, Glynda,' she mentally reprimanded herself

" **Yes… That's better," said Jaune, "Love is all starlight and gentle blushes. Passion leaves your fingers sore from clawing the sheets."**

 **Ren blushed profusely.**

" **You could at least have had the courtesy to use the bedposts," complained Ren as he stretched his fingers.**

All of RWBY, plus Velvet, Coco, and Ilia fainted into a heap.

" **Hey, no topping from the bottom," scolded Jaune playfully.**

Nora, Pyrrha, Glynda, and Winter were the next to fall as their minds broke.

"Seriously?" commented Qrow.

" **Hahaha! Passion it is then," laughed Roman, who jotted it down in the journal.**

 **Ren sighed, in resignation.**

"…You okay, buddy?" asked Sun, who noticed Ren had gone quiet.

"Just another universe… Just another universe…" he said as he rocked himself in a fetal position.

…

Family Guy – Concerned Parents

 **Coco was waiting in the bedroom, and wore a purple bathrobe.**

"Whoa… I look older," said Coco.

" **So is this is that drug all the kids are doing now," said Coco in a worried voice.**

" **Mr. Toad, how many licks of you does it take to get the center of a state prison?"**

 **Jail bars rolled across the screen, and slammed shut. Before it blacked out, with a single message in bold white.**

" **JUST ONE," said a dramatic voice.**

"Licking toads?!" asked Glynda, concerned.

"Teenagers…" scoffed Qrow.

"Oh don't tell me you didn't do stupid things when you were our age!" declared Yang.

 **An older looking Jaune walked by and unbuttoned his white dress shirt, as Coco turned off the TV and placed the remote in the nightstand.**

"You both have wedding bands," said Weiss.

"Looks like you and Jaune are married here," said Velvet.

"Oh, really…?" hummed Coco thoughtfully.

" **How could this happen? I thought we lived in a nice small town," said Coco with concern on her face, as she turned off the light.**

 **Coco opened a drawer, and pulled out some matches and lit one. On the other side of the bed, a shirtless Jaune with a decently muscled upper body, undid his belt, and removed his pants to reveal a pair of red briefs.**

"Wait… what are we watching?!" cried out Glynda.

"Cover your eyes Ruby!" said Yang as she tried to blindfold her sister with her hands.

Ruby had been given the talk, but there was still no way she was just going to watch something like this.

"Yang!" complained Ruby, who tried to wiggle away.

 **Coco pulled out something nicely folded from the same drawer and handed them to Jaune. The man unfurled them, and to reveal a pair of leather chaps.**

Coco's breath hitched.

"Oh my…" gasped Weiss, a blush on her face.

"Weiss!" scolded Winter, though the elder Schnee sister hypocritically watched as well.

Yang redoubled her efforts to hide Ruby's innocent eyes. S&M was not covered in "The Talk."

" **Well, there's no such thing anymore, Coco," sighed Jaune, "Things are a lot different than when we were kids."**

" **Well, it just makes me sad," said Coco, as she pulled up a black stocking to her thigh, and clasped it to something under her robe.**

" **Hey, it makes me sad too, but, uh… You know," said Jaune as he put on a brown leather, spiked collar.**

"Oh… My god," breathed out Blake.

Sun and Ilia noticed the look of interest Blake had.

'Is… Is she into this sort of thing?' they both thought.

 **Coco undid her robe, to reveal a black, strapless latex corset with black lace panties, a black garter belt that held her stockings, and from the same drawer she got the chaps, pulled out some black fingerless gloves that she began to put on.**

Coco tilted down her shades, and a devious smirk crossed her face.

"Well, well, I like where this is going," said Coco as she licked her lips.

Velvet gave a meek squeal.

" **I mean if Crème is at risk, then so is Rob," said Coco, "And Café will in preschool before we know it."**

" **Well, we just have to trust our kids to stay off of drugs, is all," said Jaune as he put on two spiked, leather braces on his wrists**

"J-Jaune?!" cried out Pyrrha before she screamed in her mind: 'NO! If anyone is going to be his mistress, it's me!'

 **Coco was tugging up a pair of latex boots while she sat on the bed.**

Coco purred at the sight, as did Blake.

" **I do trust our kids. It's the other kids I don't trust," said Coco.**

 **Jaune sighed, and understood where his wife came from.**

" **Yeah, yeah, well… I guess as parents it's up to us to be part of the solution," said Jaune.**

"Well… that's good?" said Qrow uncertainly.

 **Then Jaune pulled out a leather mask that was designed to encompass his head. It had eye holes, and a zipper that went horizontal across where the mouth would be.**

"I spoke too soon," grumbled Qrow.

Yang stopped trying to protect her sister's innocent eyes at the sight of the mask.

"He wouldn't be able to scream with that thing on…" Yang breathed out.

"Scream?!" cried out Ruby in alarm, "Is Coco going to hurt Jaune?"

Nora and Ren coughed when Ruby turned to them.

"Well… um… Ren, help me out here," hissed Nora.

Ren would have said something, were it not for the threatening looks of Qrow and Yang.

"No, Ruby… They're going to play a… game?" suggested Ren.

"Yeah a game! With… um, really complex rules!" added Nora.

" **I'll go talk to the principal tomorrow," said Jaune as he made his way over to his wife.**

" **Thanks, honey," said Coco sweetly before she kissed his cheek, and pulled the mask onto his head, "The safety word is 'Banana."**

 **Jaune undid the zipper of the mask.**

" **I love you," said Jaune before he zipped it up.**

 **Coco donned a feral look, and pushed Jaune onto the bed.**

Everyone stared as the scene cut off and the screen went dark.

"…Hot," was all Coco said.

"You do realize they were having a serious conversation about drugs and youth, right?" pointed out a flustered Ironwood.

"I think we're the only ones who picked up on that," said Ozpin.

"Yep…" said Qrow, who took a swig of his flask.

…

God of War – He Won't Bite

 **Juniper sat at the bow of the rowboat with her father, Jaune, who paddled their vessel from the opposite end. They had traveled for a time before they got to the river dock that Jaune used to trade the goods from their homestead to the nearby trade post down river.**

"It's my niece!" shouted Ruby excitedly.

"Niece?" asked Winter.

"It's a potential future," explained Yang.

Winter, who noticed that Jaune appeared older, nodded a little, and Yang watched with great interest. She wondered what sort of adventure the two were going to have.

" **So! Know any good stories to pass the time?" asked Juniper.**

" **What kind of story?" asked Jaune.**

" **I don't know…" said Juniper, "Mother always had stories. Weren't you told any when you were a kid?"**

 **Jaune thought on it, and hummed.**

"Oh! Jaune, use the stories I tell every morning!" suggested Nora with her hand in the air.

"He can't see you, Nora," said Ren.

" **There was set of stories, popular where I'm from," said Jaune, "The stories were brief, and purposeful."**

 **Juniper stared.**

" **Sounds… fun?" she said.**

"Boo!" said Nora.

Pyrrha giggled.

" **Do you remember any?" Juniper ventured.**

 **Jaune decided to humor her, and racked his brains.**

" **Hm… There was one that concerned a hare and a tortoise," began Jaune.**

"I know that story…" said Ozpin.

" **Okay, what happened?" she asked.**

" **They wager on a race between them," began Jaune, "The hare is too confident of victory, and foolish, while the tortoise is steady and disciplined. The tortoise wins."**

"…There's a lot more to that story than that," objected Ozpin.

"My stories are better!" said Nora.

"Agreed," said Ren, who never thought he'd say that.

" **You… haven't told a lot of stories, have you," said Juniper.**

 **Jaune just sighed and kept paddling downstream.**

"I guess I was the one who did all the bedtime stories. Just how uninvolved was he," groaned Yang.

"He tried… he just…" said Pyrrha.

"I know… He's been through a lot himself," said Yang sadly.

 **Jaune saw a bend in the river that he was familiar with, and was about to tell his daughter to brace herself for an upcoming current when he noticed something.**

 **He sniffed the air once… twice…**

" **Do you smell that?" asked Jaune.**

 **Juniper sniffed, and wrinkled her nose.**

" **What is that?" she asked.**

" **We flow into sea water," said Jaune.**

" **If that smell is the sea, the sea stinks," said Juniper.**

"Sea water… in a forest?" asked Winter.

"Was there a tsunami, or something?" said Sun.

"That's unlikely," said Ilia, "Solitas doesn't get many earthquakes."

 **Jaune paddled further down. The river widened, and he paddled with increasing uncertainty. The water flowed into a cave, which he knew he never passed through, but still he directed his boat to travel with the current. The cave was filled with a light mist but was still navigable, and eventually, he came upon a vast salt water lake.**

" **What is this place," he said aloud.**

" **You've never been here?" asked Juniper alarmed.**

" **I know the river, but this is different," said Jaune.**

 **Jaune paddled further into the water when he noticed something sticking out at the center. It looked like a stone carving, and it donned on him.**

" **I know this thing," said Jaune.**

" **What is it?" asked Juniper.**

" **It's a stone carving that I always see whenever I went downriver to trade. How did the water level get this high?" Jaune pondered aloud.**

"I know what that is," said Ironwood.

"What is it?" asked Winter.

"It's a stone totem. The people that live in the Snow-Sea use them to tell stories, and honor their ancestors. Back when I trained in the Specialists, when Mantle was still in power, the kingdom hired some of the natives there, and we had to live with them and learn to survive in the tundra."

Winter nodded in understanding, and noted just how different the training program changed since the kingdom administration moved to Atlas.

 **Juniper took a look at it, and noticed something.**

" **These markings… these are Snow-Sea Runes," said Juniper.**

" **The ones that the natives here use for good luck charms?" asked Jaune.**

" **Yeah… I know a few," said Juniper.**

" **How?" asked Jaune.**

" **I don't know," said Juniper, "It's just… I just know these symbols."**

 **Jaune pondered Juniper's statement.**

' **Yang was exposed to the Relic of Knowledge briefly. Did some of its power linger within her then get passed onto Juniper…?' thought Jaune, 'That might be a bit of a stretch. I'm still not sure how the Relics work.'**

"Relics?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin paled.

"Relic of Knowledge?" added Blake, "What's that?"

Glynda, Ironwood, Qrow, and Ozpin shifted a little in their chairs, which no one noticed, thankfully.

 **Juniper cleared her throat.**

" **It reads: Sacrifice your arms to the center of the water; awaken again the cradle of the world," Juniper read before she sat down, "What… throw our weapons into the water? Guess that won't be a problem for you."**

 **Jaune stared at her.**

" **Are you going to do it?" she asked uncertainly.**

 **Jaune shrugged. He didn't really know what to do, but the fact that such a message was written on an object just above the water line of a lake that wasn't supposed to exist did make him curious…**

 **Jaune got up, drew his sword, imbued it with aura and tossed it into the water.**

"Why did he do that?" asked Ilia.

"His semblance lets him manipulate aura," said Pyrrha, "Because he imbued his aura into the blade, he can actually summon it back."

"Impressive," said Winter.

 **Jaune raised his hand to summon his sword…**

 **Nothing… he looked to his hand.**

" **The sword did not return…"**

"You sure about that?" asked Ilia, unimpressed.

"It worked last time," said Yang.

 **Suddenly the water shifted, and Jaune noticed movement in the mist… something on a distant hill. Then, the water sloshed around, and Jaune and Juniper struggled to stay in the boat.**

Ozpin nearly choked when he saw a gap in the mist, and the mysterious movement revealed itself to him briefly.

'Snake scales,' he thought, 'Could it be…?'

" **Hang on, girl!" Jaune commanded as he held onto her and boat.**

" **Okay!" she responded.**

 **They were tossed about, and he felt their vessel drop from time to time, until finally the water settled. Jaune saw something massive rise from the water, before a giant red eye opened and looked at him and his daughter.**

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"Is that a…?" started Yang, not believing what she saw.

" **What is this?" Jaune asked.**

"… **It's the World Serpent!" said Juniper.**

" **That old Solitas legend of a massive Grimm?" asked Jaune.**

" **Yeah…" said Juniper as the serpent kept rising to its full height.**

"The legends are true?!" questioned Ironwood.

"It's not some superstition?!" added Winter.

Ozpin stared on.

'So… you're still alive,' thought Ozpin.

 **The serpent resembled a King Taijitu, black with white bone plate, but there was something different. The Grimm's eyes held a curious shine to it as opposed to a malicious one. The serpent opened its mouth, flicked its tongue, and Jaune saw a glint head toward him. In a matter of moments, the glint revealed itself to be his sword, and it spun and landed right in front of him.**

 **Jaune grabbed the blade, and got his shield prepped. He got into a stance as the giant snake leaned in to get a good look at them.**

" **Stay calm, girl!" shouted Jaune in a level voice.**

"What is he going to do against that?!" cried out Weiss.

"I… I don't know," shuddered Pyrrha.

" **I am, this is great!" replied Juniper.**

"She's definitely your kid," said Blake to Yang.

Yang didn't respond, and instead, was biting her nails out of nerves.

 **The beast opened its mouth to reveal many teeth, and –**

" **WWWWWWEEEEEEYYYAANNUUUUUU TAAAAAALLLLL-SSSHHHNNAAANUUUU!" declared the giant grimm.**

"…What?!" the audience cried out.

" **It speaks?!" balked Jaune.**

" **Yeah! The legends say he's friendly!"**

"A friendly grimm? Impossible!" said Glynda.

"I'll take it. As long as Juniper's safe," said Yang.

" **Well, what is it saying?" asked Jaune.**

" **I don't know!" said Juniper.**

" **AAAAAHHHHHNNNUUUUUUMMEEEEEEEE!" began the serpent as it pulled back, its red eyes glowed in the mist as the silhouette of its head bowed to them, "AAAAAAUUUUUUUUU-MMMOOOOOOOO!"**

 **When the Taijitu faded into the mist, its shape blended into the mist and its silhouette rested atop the shadow of a cliff. Jaune took a quick look at surroundings, and noticed that the top of the totem Juniper read from was high in the air, and that they were in a part of the river that he was more familiar with.**

' **So much displaced water,' he thought, 'And the sea water as well... We're miles from the coast. How big is that grimm?'**

"That must have been one huge grimm to move that much water around. How big do you think it was?" asked Sun.

"Well, he is called the 'World Serpent,' for a reason," pointed out Ozpin, "If my memory serves, the legends say he's so long, he encompasses the world itself."

"Wow…!" squealed Ruby in amazement.

" **That was amazing!" shouted Juniper**

" **It was…" Jaune allowed, "Come now, the coast is not too far. Once we get there, we'll go to the nearest port, and take a ship to Sanus."**

" **Okay," said Juniper, excited.**

…

 **A/N: Two funny shorts, and an epic one at the end.**

 **Let me know what you thought of these, and I'll see you all next time for an actual chapter.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The first two shorts were for those who love reaction stories for the ships.**

 **In the second vignette, the name of Chris' stand-in, Rob, is shortened from "Robusta" a type of coffee bean.**

 **I didn't include the new characters because these were ideas I had before it the second intermission, so I had no lines planned for the new reactors.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview(s):**

 _ **Love Hina**_

 _ **Romance of Three Kingdoms**_

 _ **Inuyasha**_

 _ **COD MW3 Blood Brothers – Reviewer Request**_

 _ **Rurouni Kenshin**_

 _ **COD Advanced Warfare**_

 _ **COD Black Ops**_

 _ **Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_


	15. Love Hina: Your New Landlord

**I threw Raven in, just like in a few other reaction stories… I hope I write the ensuing drama correctly.**

 **Anyhow, the previews in the vignette chapters are the general order the next few chapters will go in.**

 **For this chapter, I was supposed to do this after the first intermission, but I got side tracked by the ideas I got after that one. Anyway, after the last viewing, Blake and the others need a little pick-me-up.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Love Hina**_ **is the work of Ken Akamatsu.**

Chapter 15 – Your New Landlord

'They're taking this well… Well, most of them, at least as far I can tell,' thought Archie to himself.

Blake's parents had been confused after his explanation, but after Blake confirmed that they had heard correctly and weren't dreaming, they decided to go along with it. They likely did so because of Blake's presence.

Penny, who had been turned human by him, was so pleased by the development that she had accepted this situation rather happily.

'She is still rather innocent. I just hope some of these universes won't scare her,' thought Archie with a worried tone.

Then he turned to the new additions that acted exactly as he expected: Tai and his family in one corner, and in a distant corner, but still in view of the screen for watching, was Raven. Tai was looking at her, and Raven to him from time to time. One would stare, and when the other looked back, they'd look away.

'Let's see if I can break the tension,' he thought to himself.

He moved over to Raven, who tensed immediately at his approach.

"Settling in?" he asked.

Raven eyes flicked toward her brother, and her ex-husband and his family.

"Of course," she drawled, "The long awaited family reunion. This is a dream come true."

"I'm surprised you aren't questioning the nature of how you got here."

"Ozpin gave me and my brother the ability to turn into birds," Raven growled, "If magic is real, why not gods?"

"Hmm… I suppose you have a point there. Also don't you mean 'my brother and I?" asked Archie.

"As if he will ever come before me. I'm the eldest after all," Raven snorted.

"At least you still have your sense of humor," said Archie casually, "You don't have to sit near them if you don't want to, but you'll view things better if you sit closer."

Raven looked away, then back to the group.

"I get my own chair?" asked Raven.

"Ozpin, Ironwood, and Glynda have theirs," pointed out Archie.

After a moment, Raven stalked over, and ignored the looks from everyone. When she was close enough to the screen to see well, but still distant enough from the main group, her cushion from the Branwen enclave appeared. She smirked a little, and reclined on it comfortably.

On the other side of the viewing area, Qrow scoffed at the sight of his sister sitting down.

"Look at her, thinkin' she owns the place," said Qrow.

"Just… ignore her, Qrow," said Tai, "Don't give her the satisfaction."

"Tai…"

"She's been out of our lives for years. I've moved on…" said Tai Yang.

"Doesn't sound like it," scoffed Qrow, which earned him a glare from Tai, "Look, far be it for me to tell you about your love life, but you can't ignore her. Yang won't."

"Don't remind me," groaned Tai Yang, who saw his eldest with Ruby, and their friend Penny.

Yang looked at Raven with a look of longing, anger, and frustration.

"…I'll talk to her. Once things have settled," added Tai Yang.

"…Alright, sounds fair. Suddenly showing up in this place must have freaked you both out. Just don't wait too long. Yang might beat you to the punch," warned Qrow.

Tai Yang sighed before they both went to the new "parents' couch," next to the students' couch.

Meanwhile, at the parents' couch, Ghira Belladona and his wife got up from their seats when Blake approached.

"I have tea," she said, and offered the cups in her hand.

"Thank you, honey," said Kali.

"Ahh… This will help us settle in for sure," said Ghira after he breathed in the aroma of his drink.

"I'm surprised you took to being here well," said Blake.

"You're here. That's all the comfort we need," said Kali.

Blake looked away a little, still guilty from having yelled at them before running off with Adam. Suddenly something caught her eye.

"Hey Blake," said Sun, "I got you something."

Sun handed her a bowl of spicy tuna on rice with some Nori on the top.

"I figured… after what you saw last time, this would help. I know you like fish and all," said Sun.

"That's nice, Sun," said Blake, "Thank you."

"No problem. Oh, and Velvet's making her carrot cupcakes for you also," said Sun.

"I'll be sure to thank her when she gives them. Thank you," said Blake.

"Are you a friend of Blake's?" asked Kali.

"Oh, hi Mr. and Mrs. B… Wait, can I call you Mr. and Mrs. B?" asked Sun, worried.

"You can," said Kali before her husband could growl.

"Yeah, we're friends," said Sun diplomatically, "I'm Sun Wukong, the leader of Team SSSN from Haven. We're at Beacon for the Vytal festival."

"I see," said Kali, bemused, "Well it was really nice to meet you, Sun. Ghira, and I look forward to getting to know you more."

"Cool!" said Sun, who turned to Blake, "See you at the couch with the others when you're ready."

As Blake saw Sun head to his spot at the couch near where Velvet, Coco, and now Ilia tended to sit, her ears perked as her mom leaned in.

"He seems nice," teased her mom.

"We're friends," Blake said, a little flustered.

"Good," said Ghira, "I don't like him."

Kali swatted her husband's arm at the comment.

Blake went to the couch, but not far. She just sat at the end of the couch, next to the parents' couch so she could be with her parents. She noticed Yang usher Ruby and Penny to sit next to her before she moved to the other side of the parents's couch to sit next to her father and uncle. Blake noticed how somber Yang had turned, especially with how playful and teasing she had been earlier. She looked to Raven, and understood Yang' turn. She sighed, and looked at the screen waiting for Archie to put in the next volume.

"Are you sure we don't need more butter with the popcorn, Ruby. It's so delicious," said Penny.

"It is. But it's bad for you if you eat too much," said Ruby.

"I see… Even a little bit more?" pleaded Penny, with innocent eyes.

'No! Must… resist!' thought Ruby before she sighed, "No more, Penny."

"Okay…" said Penny sadly.

Weiss couldn't help but chuckle at the guilty face Ruby made.

"You make the same arguments when it comes to cookies," said Weiss.

"Look who's talking cake-girl!" Ruby said as she pointed a finger at her partner.

"Ruby, no pointing," called out Tai Yang.

Weiss smiled smugly as Ruby lowered her hand and grumbled.

Archie went to the bin, and picked up a volume.

"The last one from the first batch of randoms," said Archie, who chuckled, "A humorous one at that. A good thing after the last one.

"Why?" asked Ghira, "Did something bad happen recently?"

"…Yeah. In one of the universes we watched, I was stabbed," said Blake.

"WHAT?!" shouted Kali and Ghira.

Blake and the others winced at the volume of the shout.

"Who stabbed you?" demanded Kali, with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Blake hesitated to answer, but Ilia didn't

"Adam," growled Ilia.

"That little…! I knew he was trouble, the first time he killed and was not admonished for it…" growled Ghira.

"I know. I know now," said Blake, "Archie, can you load up the next one. I'd rather not think about it right now."

"Blake-" began Kali.

"Load it up, already," cut off Raven, "If I'm going to be stuck here, I want to be entertained!"

"You're all heart, Raven," said Tai as Kali glared.

"Is she always like that?" growled Yang.

"Since we were in diapers," said Qrow.

Archie sighed, and popped in the volume.

…

 **On a hot summer day in northeastern Sanus, Jaune trudged through the heat. His hoodie was off, and hooked by a finger to hang over his shoulder and his messenger bag. His white dress shirt was untucked, and his jeans clung to his legs as he moved up a long concrete staircase to his destination.**

"So, that's your friend, Jaune?" asked Tai Yang, "He's a lot skinnier than how Ruby said he was in that letter of hers."

"He's not so skinny anymore. Pyrrha's helping him train, so he's got a bit more muscle now," said Yang.

"That's… something…" said Tai, who wondered why Yang would bring up the boy's muscles.

" **Man, I forgot how hot the summers were in this part of Sanus," said Jaune.**

 **He climbed up higher, and came upon a grand manor in Mistral architectural design, and marveled before it.**

" **Grandma's old hotel: The Sunrise Inn," said Jaune, "To think some old, renovated Mistral mansion from the Great War is still standing tall."**

"Wait," began Ironwood, "Weren't the old Mistral colonies in Sanus overwhelmed by the grimm during the war?"

"The war did occur, but the Grimm do not exist in this universe," said Archie.

"Another universe with no grimm," said Ozpin.

"That sounds… amazing," said Tai Yang.

Kali, and Ghira agreed. Raven did too, though it was because without having to worry about grimm, raiding would be a lot easier.

 **Jaune entered into the building, and was greeted with an empty lobby.**

" **H-Hello? Anyone home?" he called out.**

"…"

" **Grandma? It's me, Jaune. I… I have this problem. I need to study for university entrance exams. Can I stay here for a little while?"**

"…"

"University exams?" asked Weiss, "Knowing his grades, he'll need to do a lot of it."

"He's not that bad," objected Pyrrha.

"He had a comic book in his Grimm Studies textbook the other day," pointed out Weiss.

"Hrk…!" gasped Pyrrha, "…Looks like I have to have a talk with Jaune later."

"Why would anyone not pay attention to Port's class? It's awesome!" said Nora.

"…It is," agreed Ren.

It was a great place to have a nap, after all.

" **Huh? Where're grandma and everyone else?" muttered Jaune, as he walked further into the lobby.**

 **Jaune saw the landlord's office, and opened the door.**

" **I'll just wait here until grandma gets in," said Jaune as he set his bag and hoodie down, "What a huge apartment."**

 **Jaune sat down and huffed.**

" **My stupid parents treat me like such an idiot. 'The world will blow up before you get into Beacon U!' Well, excuse me!" ranted Jaune.**

"Beacon U; as in University?" asked Glynda.

"Given the paraphrase he ascribed to his parents' words, Beacon must be quite the school," commented Winter.

"It was overrated," scoffed Raven, "If one is strong enough, the things you learn at Beacon are simply shackles that hunters put on themselves."

"One needs to know the ethical and historical responsibilities to be a proper hunter," scolded Glynda.

"Exactly. Shackles," reiterated Raven.

Glynda narrowed her eyes.

" **I already know I'm in the 48** **th** **percentile, and I'm bad at Old Mantlese. And math, and social studies, and history, and biology, and…"**

 **Jaune fell back, and his body fell with a loud, defeated smack.**

" **I suck at everything!"**

"A weak-looking body, and a weak mind… How is he important again?" asked Raven.

"You don't have to be strong all the time to make a difference," growled Ruby.

Raven stared at the girl for a moment, and rolled her eyes.

'You're just like _her_ …' Raven thought.

 **He got back onto his feet, and marched out the room.**

" **Argh! This is so lame! I've got to get into Beacon U, and prove myself, no matter what!" declared Jaune, as he walked through the halls.**

 **As he did, he saw a door with a Mistrali noren hanging off the frame. He took a look through the door, and saw shelves of towels and robes near all near three doors: one in the middle with two flanking each of its sides. He opened the middle and he gasped in delight. It was a large, open-air bath with rocks, and bamboo groves in the backdrop.**

" **Wow! A hot spring! I heard that Mistral colonists loved this region because of these things," said Jaune, "…Maybe grandma's out. Well no reason why I can't relax while I wait."**

 **He grabbed one of each, and made his way to the changing room with the men's symbol.**

"Hey, that looks just like the big bath house we have here!" said Ruby.

"Really…?" asked Kali, interested.

"I've never had a bath before. Is it as nice as people describe it?" asked Penny.

"You can see later," said Ruby.

 **Jaune relaxed against the rocks, as he soaked in the warm water.**

" **Ahhh… this is so nice and warm! I never realized grandma's place was so fancy. Lucky me! Well, no need to worry. I'll just study extra hard here at the hotel!"**

 **Shhh-k**

 **Jaune perked up to hear the door the sliding door to the baths open.**

' **Hmm? Who's there?' thought Jaune.**

 **The moment he turned around, his heart stilled and his eyes widened.**

" **Ahh…! Isn't this so nice and hot?" said a beautiful rabbit faunus, with brown bunny ears, cream color skin, and chocolate-brown hair, with nothing but a towel to cover her modesty.**

"EEEP! What the-?" squealed Velvet.

"Wow! First Xiao Long, then Pyrrha? Kind of anyway; looks like you're up, Velvet," teased Coco.

"Wait, what do you mean 'First Xiao Long?" asked Tai Yang.

"Oh, well… Um, you see… There was this potential future we saw. Jaune and I were… together," said Yang.

"What?!" cried out Tai.

"That weakling?!" shouted Raven.

In Tai's mind, images of innocent little Yang trailing after him were replaced by images of Yang trailing after a, ugh, _boyfriend_.

'Not on my watch. No one is going to steal my daughter,' Tai Yang declared internally.

Raven also disapproved, though for different reasons. While not quite like her when she was part of Team STRQ, Raven knew Yang was strong. But to think that she would give herself to some weakling.

'This is Tai's doing…! He raised her to be soft. I knew I should have taken Yang with me!' she cursed in her head.

' **What… Who?!' Jaune screamed in his head.**

 **The girl sat down, dipped the towel down into the water wiped herself with it. The waterline and steam from the water was all that was there to protect breasts from view. Then she stretched her arms over her head, her breasts heaved, but before he could see them in their full glory, Jaune immediately whipped his head in the opposite direction.**

" **I love taking a soak during the day. Total heaven," he heard the girl gush.**

' **Who's she?' screamed Jaune in his mind.**

" **And guess what?!" the girl continued excitedly.**

 **Jaune dared to turn, and his eyes nearly popped out.**

" **I think my boobs are getting a little bigger!" the girl said as she stood up a little, leaned forward, and covered her breasts with an arm. Jaune focused on one boob in particular, closest to the elbow, which threatened to spill out, "See?"**

All the guys, except Ghira who looked away, in the room leaned in with wide eyes and watched with great interest.

All the girls blushed and stammered at what the other Velvet did. Yang and Pyrrha blushed, and growled. Winter turned scarlet, as did Glynda. Raven laughed raucously, and Kali tittered in amusement.

"Oh… How sweet, if a little bold, considering you just met, young one," said Kali.

"What? But…!" stammered Velvet.

Kali then sidled up to her husband.

"I'm reminded of our fourth date. Do you remember how I pounced on you?" she teased flirtatiously.

"MOM!" "Kali!" yelped Blake and Ghira respectively.

"Woo-Hoo! That's my girl! Go get him!" cheered Coco.

"NO!" cried out Velvet, who then noticed that _everyone_ was staring, "Look away!"

Glynda used her fingers to trigger her semblance semblance her shut the eyes of all the guys, who yelped that they did not look.

Ilia, unseen by Glynda, was exempt.

'Move you elbow… Just a little more…' Ilia thought as she drooled.

 **Jaune's mind officially broke, and he sat dumbly in the bath, and before he could muster the thought of discreetly getting out, the girl rested a soft hand on his shoulder. While it might have tensed him, he never went stiffer than when he felt a pair of soft, warm pillows of flesh pressed against his back.**

' **Her boobs… against my back!' he mentally cried out and dismay, and cheered in joy.**

Velvet blushed profusely.

As there was no threat of her student's breasts being exposed, Glynda deactivated her semblance's hold on the adult mens' eyelids.

'Lucky…!' thought Sun and Ilia at the same time.

" **They're still nowhere near yours though," the girl said.**

' **Huh?' he thought.**

"Wait, what?" asked Velvet.

"Is Jaune actually a woman?" asked Penny.

"…He did scream like one during initiation," said Blake.

"Oh yeah, that was him wasn't it?" asked Yang.

"No, Ms. Polendina," said Glynda, "I believe Ms. Scarlatina, in this universe, believes Mr. Arc is someone else."

" **Let's give 'em a squeeze!" Velvet cried out playfully, and her hands reached around to his front.**

" **AAAACK! No! Not there!" cried Jaune.**

 **His hands brushed her's down, and he went still when he felt her grab…**

" **Huh? What's this hard thing? It's getting bigger and bigger…"**

The words shocked Velvet and all the girls and women, except Raven, who rolled her eyes. All of the guys snorted when they heard Velvet's the words.

"…I? …In my hands," Velvet went still, and shuddered.

Pyrrha looked ready to toss her manners out the window, and drag Velvet into a catfight.

' **Oh no…' thought Jaune with dread.**

 **The girl moved away quickly, and reached for something outside the bath. It was a pair of glasses that she put on …**

 **The girl blushed in shock as she dropped the glasses into the water, and Jaune gulped.**

"You look cute in glasses," commented Coco.

"Really Coco…? I'm in an embarrassing situation, and you want to talk fashion?!" cried out Velvet.

"I'm just saying," said Coco.

" **Well… You see… Um…" stammered Jaune.**

 **The girl snapped out of her state, and took a breath…**

" **AAAHH! SOMEONE HELP!**

 **Jaune grabbed his towel, and covered himself as he leapt out of the bath. He quickly tied it around himself, and made his way to the exit.**

" **It's a peeping tom! A pervert!" the girl screamed.**

" **I went into the girls' bath by mistake?! This looks so bad!" cried Jaune as he nearly slipped.**

"What? He didn't check the door he went into?" asked Weiss, shocked, "Arc can be dense, but he's not that dense!"

"That's right! I've been to Mistral's onsen baths. There are bold bright signs indicating which bath is which, and the government will force a closure if the signs are not present or if they're even slightly illegible. They're impossible to miss," pointed out Pyrrha.

 **He opened the door and ran into – "Ooomph!"**

 **Jaune had collided with something, and he instinctively tried to push off of it, only to go still at the warm, soft, and pillowy feeling in his hands. He looked up and saw that he had run into another girl. She was short-haried brunette with a loose caramel bang, with cream-colored skin with a towel wrapped around her nude body.**

"Whoa, slow down, handsome. Buy me dinner first," teased Coco.

"Coco…" "Miss Adel…" groaned Velvet and Glynda respectively.

" **I-I'm sorry!" recoiled Jaune his hands in full view.**

" **Haven't seen you before," commented the girl nonchalantly.**

" **Coco, that's the pervert! Catch him!" screamed the girl from the bath, who now had a towel wrapped around her body.**

" **Ahhh!" cried Jaune before he continued to run.**

" **Hey, now! Wait!" called the second girl.**

 **Too late.**

 **Jaune immediately collided with a short ginger girl with teal eyes, a middle school uniform who carried a hamper with dirty clothes.**

"I'm in this one, too!" cheered Nora, "Ooh, a sailor school uniform."

" **Yow!" cried Jaune "Ow! Sorry!"**

" **What's going on?!" gasped the third girl.**

' **Why do I keep running into girls?!' Jaune thought frantically with a pair of used panties clung to his hair.**

"Fearless leader's a panty snatcher!" laughed Nora.

"Nora, he is not," said Ren.

"Our Jaune would never do that," added Pyrrha, before a devious thought entered her mind, '…Maybe I should get some sexier lingerie, just in case.'

" **Geez… What's with all that noise?" asked a soft, yet clear voice.**

 **Jaune looked up to see a young girl with short black hair with red highlights, and silver eyes had emerged from a door. She wore a dress shirt, a pleated skirt, and a kitchen apron with a ladle in her hand.**

"That's me!" said Ruby.

 **Jaune immediately tried to skid to a halt avoid crashing into her. He succeeded, but inertia and momentum flicked the front of his short impromptu towel wrap upward.**

Ruby's face matched her name in a matter of seconds.

"WHAT?! He is so dead!" shouted Yang, Tai, and Qrow.

"Ruby, does this mean that Mr. Arc likes you?" asked Penny innocently.

"Penny! That's… umm…" stammered Ruby.

 **The girl dropped the ladle, covered her faith his both hands, and slumped to the ground in shock.**

" **EEEEEK!" the fourth girl screamed.**

" **What the heck?!" cried Jaune as he ran away from the scene.**

" **Stop that thief!" cried the ginger girl.**

" **He's not a thief, he's a pervert!" yelled the rabbit faunus who ran with damp hair as she hurriedly buttoned up her shirt, dampened by bath water that had remained on her skin when she got into her clothes.**

 **A door opened and a petite girl with silver-white hair, ice blue eyes, and fencing attire ran out. She held a practice foil, and look of murderous intent.**

"I'm in this, too?" asked Weiss.

"Your attire reminds me of your old fencing outfit. Well, before you spilled ice cream on it," said Winter with a chuckle.

"Winter!" whined Weiss.

" **A pervert?!" she called out as she caught up to the ginger and the faunus.**

" **This way!" answered the ginger cheerfully as she pointed at Jaune and ran at the same time, "He's a flasher, too! FULL FRONTAL NUDITY!"**

 **The fencer immediately glowered.**

 **Jaune ran up the stairs, and eventually hit a platform on the roof where a clothesline hung. He was trapped.**

" **Oh no!" cried Jaune as he heard footsteps.**

 **Jaune stood naked, save for a towel and a pair of panties stuck to his head. Before him was a four story drop to the ground, and behind him were five shocked and angry girls.**

"Like a bear up a tree," commented Raven.

" **H-Hold on! I just… I just came to visit my grandma!" he tried to explain, "I wanted to stay in her hotel… I didn't mean to peek, squeeze, or flash…**

" **IRON PUNCH!" cried the faunus girl as her fist collided with his face.**

"Not a bad punch. The form could use a little work, but not bad," said Tai.

 **The assault was followed up when white-haired girl in fencing attire whipped his face with a slash from her fencing foil.**

Weiss and Winter flinched a little at the blow. The amount of force concentrated in so thin a weapon would likely hurt for at least a few hours, not to mention break the skin.

 **The ginger girl delivered an upper cut afterward, and Jaune spun in the air.**

"Bad counterpart, hurting our fearless leader," muttered Nora.

"Not enough…" muttered Tai and Qrow, still angry over Jaune flashing Ruby.

" **What do you mean stay in her hotel?" questioned the faunus menacingly after Jaune fell to the ground, "You expect us to believe your stupid lies?! This hasn't been a hotel in ages! This… is a leased apartment complex for women! In other words, a girl's dorm!"**

 **Jaune was stunned.**

" **A… A girl's dorm?!" he yelled.**

" **Now you just sit tight while we call the cops," said the faunus.**

" **Wait! That's too-" stammered Jaune.**

" **You've got some nerve sneaking in like this," continued the faunus, not interested in what he had to say.**

"Wow. I've never seen you this fired up, Velvet," said Blake.

"Are you kidding me? Velvet's just getting started," said Coco.

"I'm not that bad!" cried out Velvet, "…At least not anymore, I hope."

"You aren't," said Coco with a reassuring tone.

"What happened?" asked Yang.

"…In freshman year, I was really defensive when it came to my faunus heritage. I nearly blinded a guy with a kick when he tugged my ears," said Velvet.

RWBY and NPR were shocked to hear that

"You did?!" gasped Pyrrha, "Then what about Cardin?"

"While we do encourage our students to look after themselves, Ms. Scarlatina used excessive force. The damage would have been worse, had Ms. Adel not held her partner back," said Ozpin.

"Once we found out the extent of the damage of the beat down, Velvet felt so guilty about it afterward that she begged Yatsuhashi to help her with her temper," explained Coco, "Now Velvet's the picture perfect image of self-control. As for Winchester, well let's just say if he didn't let go of Velvet's ears before she finished her counting mantra… Well, you get the idea."

RWBY and NPR suddenly had a newfound respect, and fear of the Velvet.

" **That's not it!"**

" **What's with the noise?" a new voice called out.**

 **The five girls turned, and Jaune saw a woman with blonde wavy hair in a bun, sea-green eyes, and glasses. She wore a white sweater, black slacks, slippers, and wore the old hotel service apron with the hotel logo on the chest area, and smoked a cigarette.**

" **Hmm…? Well, well. If it isn't my nephew, Jaune," said the woman.**

"Nephew?!" gasped Glynda.

"Either you, or a relative of yours must be involved with the Arc family in this universe," commented Ozpin.

 **This got the girl's attention, especially when Jaune practically threw himself at her feet.**

" **Aunt Glynda! So good to see you!" cried Jaune in joy.**

"You must be an awesome aunt," said Ruby.

"That, or I'm the only thing keeping him from being lynched," replied Glynda.

"Well… that too," said Ruby nervously.

 **After he got a chance to get dressed, Glynda had introduced Jaune to all five of the girls: Velvet the faunus, Coco, Velvet's middle and High School classmate and friend, Ruby, a seventh grader, and Nora and Weiss, two foreign exchange students in middle and high school, respectively. With the introductions out of the way, Jaune explained that he came to the old hotel because he needed a place to stay-**

" **Absolutely NOT!" cried out Velvet.**

" **P-Please? Just let me stay for a little bit," said Jaune, "I didn't know the hotel became a dorm!**

"Hang on, he didn't know it was turned into a girl's dorm?" asked Pyrrha, "Shouldn't his grandmother have warned him in advance.

"Maybe his grandmother forgot to. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for an elderly person to forget things," said Velvet.

"That's true. But there might also be some family issues going on," added Coco.

Weiss and Winter nodded at this. Not all families got along with one another. As if to prove a point, Raven and Tai looked at each other from across the distance, and looked away and frowned.

"Still…" pressed Pyrrha.

" **I said no!" howled Velvet.**

" **But my grandma owns it," argued Jaune.**

" **That's got nothing to do with this!" cried out Velvet as Coco tried to hold her back, "This is a girl's dorm! We can't let a sicko like you stay another minute!"**

" **B-But…!"**

" **You saw us naked, grabbed our breasts, stole our underwear, and did all sorts of disgusting things! You even showed your thing to poor Ruby. She's only in 7** **th** **grade! What if she's traumatized for life?!" ranted Velvet.**

" **Um… I'm fine!" squeaked Ruby, "It was too small for me to really see. So I wasn't freaked out."**

 **Jaune felt his heart get crushed by the girl's blunt statement.**

"Ha!" shouted Tai, "Take that daughter-stealer!"

"Dad!" shouted Ruby and Yang.

" **That's not helping at all, kid," said Coco.**

 **Jaune turned to his aunt.**

" **What can I do?" asked Jaune, "I spent all my money getting here. I was counting on grandma… That's right! Where's grandma? If I ask her…"**

" **She's not here," cut off Glynda.**

" **Huh?"**

" **She went on a world-wide sightseeing tour a year ago. We just get faxes from her once in a while," Glynda explained as she took another puff of her cigarette.**

" **A WORLD TOUR?!" gasped Jaune.**

" **She's looking for new thrills. So she took her failing hotel, and turned into a girl's dorm," explained Glynda.**

"Never mind what I said before. The grandmother could also be a free spirit that does things without informing others," said Velvet.

"And she wasn't around to receive any calls," finished Pyrrha.

" **I-Is that true? Grandma isn't here…" Jaune said with a slump, 'How could this happen to me? I said I wouldn't go home until I got into Beacon U. Now I have to eat my words after one day, three hours, and twenty six minutes. I'm pathetic,' he thought.**

While many of the students felt a little bad for Jaune, it was actually Weiss who felt the most sympathy for this version of Jaune. Dense, and clearly more idiotic that the Jaune she was familiar with, she could understand the sentiment. One of her great fears was having to crawl back to her father, and get on his good side to take her back. She would be proving her father's doubts about her chosen path, and he would always remind her of that.

 **Jaune took a breath and sighed.**

" **I'm screwed!" Jaune muttered, and got up which got everyone's attention, "But I understand. I can't ask you to let a guy stay in a girl's dorm. I'm sorry to have bothered you.**

" **Sorry, Jaune," said Glynda sympathetically as Jaune grabbed his bag, "I know you'd have saved on rent here. But, the commute would have been hell."**

" **Yeah. You're right," said Jaune with a hollow laugh.**

" **If I remember… You're at Beacon U now, right?"**

 **Jaune blinked.**

" **Huh?" he asked.**

" **You'd be a sophomore now…" continued Glynda.**

"…" **Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "No, aunt. Beacon U is what I've spent two years…"**

" **B-B-Beacon U?!"**

 **Jaune turned, and was nearly pounced upon by Weiss, Ruby, Coco, and Velvet, with Nora looking over their shoulders.**

" **BEACON UNIVERSITY?!" the four girls exclaimed in shock.**

" **Um… Yeah?" ventured a surprised Jaune.**

" **You're a student at Beacon University?!" Coco slammed her hands on a table, "That's so awesome!"**

" **Wha?! It is?" asked Jaune taken aback by the sudden shift in tone, "H-Hold on…"**

"Well, that was a quick about-face if ever I saw one," said Ironwood.

"It's just like when Tai and I were bachelors. Just mention you went to Beacon, and the ladies come like moths to a flame," said Qrow.

"I remember," added Raven, "Didn't Summer chew you both out when we caught two girls in our dorm?"

Tai and Qrow shuddered a little. Who knew a girl a foot and a half shorter than them could yell so loud.

" **Exactly!" said Coco as she pinched his cheeks, "A plain-ol' face like this! Hmm. They say you shouldn't judge by appearances…"**

" **Er, no, I…" began Jaune.**

" **Even if he is a Beacon U student, he's still a pervert," complained Velvet.**

" **What are you saying? We're talking about Beacon University!" said Coco, who turned back to Jaune, "Is it true?! You gotta be in the top percentile for Beacon U…"**

" **Umm… Well, right now…" began Jaune, "I think it's the 69** **th** **percentile…"**

" **Did you hear that?! 69** **th** **percentile!" Coco squealed.**

"Uh oh, I know where this is going," said Velvet.

"It's pretty obvious," agreed Blake.

"Where is it going?" asked Penny.

Before Velvet could answer, Coco put a hand on her shoulder to cut her off.

"You'll find out. Think of it as a learning experience," said Coco.

" **I don't mean me…" cried out Jaune, who was ignored by girls and their excitement, "Listen to me, I…"**

" **So which college?" asked Coco.**

" **Um, well… The law program is…"**

" **Did you hear?! Beacon U's law program!"**

 **Jaune paled.**

" **Actually, what I'm aiming for is…"**

" **He's going to a big-shot lawyer, or at the Ministry of Finance!" declared Coco.**

 **Jaune felt ill.**

"Why is your multidimensional counterpart cutting off Mr. Arc in his attempts to convey the truth, Ms. Adel?" asked Penny.

"It's called 'jumping to conclusions.' People sometimes do it when they think they have all the answers, or when they want to believe something. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong; it's just how people are sometimes when they're presented with info," explained Coco.

"I see…" said Penny.

' **This is bad! I've been trying to get into college for two years, and I'm in the 48** **th** **percentile…' he screamed in his head**

 **Coco had a devious smile.**

' **So this boring guy is in the college of law at Beacon U?!' she mentally tittered, 'Plus as the grandson of this dorm's owner, he must be a rich little bon-bon. This is my chance!'**

"Wait, am I some kind of gold-digger in this? This sucks," growled Coco, offended by the prospect.

Velvet patted her friend on the shoulder to comfort her.

 **Coco stood up.**

" **How 'bout it, guys?! Why don't we let the** _ **Counselor**_ **stay here?"**

" **Huh?! Counselor?" yelped Jaune, alarmed.**

 **Velvet was also alarmed at the development.**

" **Of course, this is a girl's dorm," continued Coco, "There are a still a few rules. If you try anything pervy like you did today, you're out on your butt."**

" **I agree…" said Weiss, after some thought, "We should be able to trust a university student."**

" **Me too!" squealed Ruby, excitedly.**

" **So, it's all decided then!" declared Coco.**

 **Jaune was about to object, but Velvet beat him to it.**

" **Hold on, Coco!" cried out the faunus, "This is still a girls dorm! You can't change that on a whim!"**

" **Ohhhh?" began Coco deviously, "What, Scarlatina? You'd throw out this** _ **poor young man**_ **? This** _ **sweet boy**_ **who's stressed over missing his** _ **dear grandmother**_ **?**

 **Velvet recoiled slightly.**

" **We all know him now. It'd be improper to refuse him," said Weiss.**

"It would?" asked Penny.

"She's likely saying that because that they now know he's a relative of the dorm's owner, it could be seen as rude to the host to do so," said Weiss.

"But given the sexual natures of men and women of their age range, wouldn't it still be improper, and problematic?" asked Penny confused.

"…It would be," said Winter thoughtfully.

"But it works out well in Beacon," said Pyrrha.

"It does, but only because each student is a well-trained fighter that can hold their own, or have friends and teammates to look out for them. The people of this universe appear to have a different outlook," said Ozpin

Penny nodded, and stored the information in her…

'Oh that's right, I have a brain now,' thought Penny with a giggle.

" **Whaa?" said Velvet.**

" **Don't be mean, Velvet," said Ruby with cute, tearful eyes.**

 **Velvet began to crumble.**

" **Meanie. Old hag!" threw in Nora.**

"Well that's not very nice, Nora" said Pyrrha.

"She wants to throw our leader out. She's the mean one," objected Nora, who pointed a finger at Velvet.

"That's not me!" said Velvet.

Ren lowered Nora's hand.

"… **Fine!" Velvet relented, "We'll welcome him in… For now!"**

" **Welcome to the Sunrise Inn!" everyone but Glynda and Velvet declared.**

" **Th-Th-Thank…" Jaune hesitated, "Thank you for your hospitality."**

"He's going along with it? He's know that it'll blow up in his face, right?" asked Qrow.

"Not if he plays his cards right," said Raven.

"Jaune won't," said Pyrrha, "He's just being polite after they offered their hospitality, I'm sure. Jaune will tell the truth in time, he's too honest, and good a man to take advantage."

"Honest and Good…?' You mean foolish, and weak-hearted," said Raven.

RWBY, Velvet, and NPR glared daggers at Raven, but the bandit leader could care less for their "threats."

 **Jaune went into the landlord's room, and slumped onto the floor.**

" **Oh, boy. This has gotten really screwed up!" sighed Jaune with worry, "What should I do? Everyone's got it all wrong… I'm not a Beacon U student! I'm just trying to get in!"**

 **A breeze blew into the room, and Jaune went to the window to close it but stopped.**

" **Whoa! The sea!" said Jaune, "What an awesome view…" Jaune sighed, "Beacon U's name is so powerful. That's the first time I've talked to girls that much in… fifteen years. Not since my first love…"**

"Oh, how sweet!" gushed Kali.

"So, is this like some kind of romance?" asked Ghira.

"Ugh… Boring," said Raven.

"Well, too bad!" snapped Velvet.

Raven stared at the bunny faunus and smirked before she shrugged it off.

"Whoa Velvet, what's this?" asked Coco, intrigued by her friend's sudden anger.

"She's just getting on my nerves. Sorry if I was a little…"

"You're forgiven Ms. Scarlatina," said Glynda.

Velvet beamed a little at that, Raven rolled her eyes.

" **Who you talking about? Your childhood sweetheart?" said a voice behind him.**

" **Aaack!" Jaune wheeled around and saw Coco, "Wh-What the?! Coco?"**

 **Coco had changed out of her earlier attire for a tank top and short shorts.**

" **Hey, you remembered my name," said Coco, "So, you're a Beacon University student, Jaune?"**

 **Jaune took a breath and steeled himself.**

" **Um, about that Beacon U business. I'm really…"**

" **Oh, I know, I know," said Coco in a reassuring manner.**

' **What? She understands?' he thought with a sigh of relief.**

"She does?" asked Glynda skeptical.

" **Even Beacon U students are young men. You need to peep and act horny and pinch panties every once in a while," tittered Coco, "You letch!"**

"Dammit…" sighed Coco.

"You always were stubborn on your assumptions," said Glynda.

" _I_ 've gotten better!" objected Coco, "This version of me…? Not so much, or at all."

"…Fair point," said Glynda.

" **THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" objected Jaune with blush on his face.**

" **But wasn't she an ice queen?" asked Coco.**

" **Huh? She?" asked Jaune.**

" **Velvet Scarlatina. She wanted to throw you out because you saw her totally nude," said Coco.**

" **Oh, the faunus with the long hair…" Jaune trailed off.**

" **Oh? So, Jaune… Do you like long-haired girls?"**

Yang, Velvet, and Pyrrha leaned in for some form of confirmation.

" **Er! Ah! No, that's not…"**

' **When you look closely, he's nothing but an innocent little bookworm. This is going to be too easy,' Coco thought with a giggle.**

" **Jaune, do you have a girlfriend?" asked Coco as she clasped her hands around his, and bent over just a tad to expose her cleavage.**

" **Huh?! N-No… I… Nothing like that…"**

" **Oh, really? That's good! The truth is… I've always wanted to have a boyfriend who goes to Beacon U," said Coco.**

 **Jaune sputtered.**

Ironwood, and especially Weiss and Winter frowned.

The flattery, the ulterior motives. It was all too familiar to them, given their experiences in Atlesian high society.

"I suck in this universe," grumbled Coco.

Coco hated seeing herself as a conniving vixen that manipulated people for her own purposes. It was the total opposite of how she wanted to be seen: strong, confident, and _direct_ in what she wanted and how she got it.

" **I know I shouldn't say this without knowing how you feel…" she began before she got his hand, "What do you think of me?"**

" **Er, What… W-W-W-W-What?!"**

" **Put your hand right here," Coco placed the hand on her breast, and Jaune's brain went into overdrive, "Can you feel my heart racing?"**

"Oh, come on! Have some self-respect…!" Coco shouted at the screen.

 **The door slid wide open before Jaune could say anything.**

" **Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" demanded Velvet, who had Nora and Weiss at her side.**

 **Coco sighed at the sight of them while Jaune stammered a response.**

" **Don't you understand the position you're in here?!" demanded Velvet.**

" **Er, no. that is, I mean… We weren't doing anything, were we Miss Adel?!"**

" **He kept pushing me! 'Is this okay? Is this okay?' and he touched my breast!" wailed Coco dramatically with crocodile tears.**

"Bitch!" shouted Coco, Yang, Velvet, and Pyrrha.

"Isn't that a bad word to call woman?" asked Penny.

"It is… but… um…" stammered Ruby.

"Given the fact that we saw the truth moments before, this is an exception," said Winter.

"I see," nodded Penny.

 **Velvet looked at Coco for a moment, and her expression of anger turned to one of exasperation.**

"Looks like this isn't the first time your counterpart has done something like that," said Velvet.

"Is it weird that I want to strangle another version of myself?" asked Coco.

"No, but I will point out that it's not possible," said Archie.

"Damn," muttered Coco.

" **But you made me!" shouted Jaune, who was cut off by the ball-point of a fencing foil at his throat with just enough pressure to silence him.**

" **You're dead!" said Weiss.**

" **I… I'm sorry!" gasped out Jaune.**

 **Suddenly, Velvet touched Weiss' sword hand and lowered it. When the white-haired girl looked to the faunus, the faunus shook her head.**

" **Come on, Coco," said Velvet, who led her friend out and the others out.**

" **Yeah, yeah," replied Coco playfully.**

 **Velvet looked over her shoulder.**

" **Creep! Slimeball!" shouted Velvet.**

 **The door shut, and Jaune growled.**

" **What was that?!" he cried out, "No one listened to my side of the story. Scarlatina really has it out for me!"**

 **He slumped on his table for a bit, and leaned on the hand that had touched Coco… It was still warm.**

' **But touching Coco's breast just now… That felt great for a first time. All jiggly and soft…**

 **Jaune eyed a tissue box, and grabbed a sheet.**

"That pervert…!" began Weiss, outraged.

"He's not going to… Is he?" said Velvet with a blush.

Coco herself was also flushed by the thought of Jaune doing… _that_.

 **The door slid open.**

" **Oh I forgot to tell you, but… the toilet is…" began Velvet, who saw Jaune with a tissue and only boxers, "What are you doing?! You idiot! PERVERT!"**

 **Velvet grabbed a broom and chased Jaune.**

"Was Mr. Arc attempting to perform a masturbation ritual?" asked Penny.

Anyone drinking spat their drinks out, though Raven began to laugh raucously.

"P-Penny! How do you know that?" asked Ironwood.

"I overheard Pvt. Greene from the A.A.S. Hellfire mention something about 'spanking it' to a picture Specialist Schnee. Since the term was not registered in any conventional dictionary, I looked through a variety of searches on the CCT, and came up with similar search results to indicate that it is a form of self-pleasure that requires no pants, thoughts of attractive people, and tissue," answered Penny, as though she had been asked a question for a test.

While Qrow and Raven laughed out loud, Ironwood, Winter, and Weiss were livid upon hearing this information.

"Doctor Polendina is going to kill me if he finds out what you're learning," muttered Ironwood

"Pvt. Greene, on the A.A.S. Hellfire you say?" growled Winter with a bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes.

"I will happily assist, sister," said Weiss, with an equally murderous expression.

 **After a while, and once he put on pants, Jaune made his way to the bathroom.**

" **Damn! What's with that girl?" groaned Jaune.**

 **He opened it, and was greeted with the sight of stunned Velvet on the toilet…**

Velvet groaned.

 **Velvet got her broom, and chased him.**

" **I-I'm sorry! That was my fault," apologized Jaune, but Velvet did not listen.**

 **Several hours later, Velvet had changed into a long-sleeve shirt and suspender shorts, and chaperoned her nemesis, broom in hand, and followed him.**

" **Why do you keep following me?" asked Jaune.**

" **Why shouldn't I? I'm making sure you don't try anything else!**

' **Okay, now she's picking on me on purpose. Are all girls like this…? There go all my dreams,' thought Jaune bitterly.**

" **Um… Hello," called out a soft voice.**

 **The two turned to see Ruby, hands folded themselves over each other on her front with a shy look on her face.**

Ruby, and her family perked up when she appeared on the screen.

" **Oh! Um, you're that seventh grader?" Jaune said as he searched his brain for the name.**

" **What's wrong?" asked Velvet.**

" **M-My name is Ruby Rose!" she introduced in a formal manner, "Um… Er… I was wondering if you could check out my homework for me?"**

 **Velvet was shocked, and Jaune turned thoughtful.**

" **O-Okay… I could do that," said Jaune, 'I should be okay with middle school problems,' he thought.**

" **Oh! Really?!" gushed Ruby excitedly.**

"I don't suppose I can threaten him somehow…" said Tai, with suspicious eyes.

"Nope. I wanted to try when he got mad at Juniper in one of the viewings last night," said Yang.

"Juniper?" asked Tai.

Yang realized her mistake, and sighed.

"You know how we said there was a potential future with Jaune and I?" asked Yang, and Tai nodded with a frown, "Well, in it was a girl called Juniper: my potential future daughter with Jaune," clarified Yang.

"WHAT?!" shouted both Tai, and Raven.

It was worse than they both of Yang's parents thought.

 **The two went to a nearby porch where Jaune was looking over Ruby's notebook. As the two sat together, Ruby leaned on her knees with her elbows as her hands cupped her face, and a light blush graced her cheeks.**

" **X-squared plus…" said Jaune.**

' **He seems like a really nice guy,' thought Ruby, as he half-listened to him.**

" **If you substitute Y in here, you're okay!" finished Jaune, who handed the notebook back to her, "That's how it goes."**

" **Thank you so much," said Ruby, "Oh right."**

 **Jaune saw her go further in the building, and return with a bowl.**

" **I made some cookies. Want some?" she offered.**

"Oh god, no," said Yang.

"My cookies aren't that bad, Yang," grumbled Ruby.

"Tell that to our stomachs," said Tai.

Qrow, and Yang nodded along.

" **Huh? These are for me?" asked Jaune, and he got one to try, "…Wow, delicious!"**

" **Really?" gushed Ruby, both hands on her cheeks, "I'm so glad! I'm still learning how to make them. Thank you!"**

 **A blush creeped onto Jaune's face.**

' **She's so cute!' he declared in his head…**

"Jaune… thinks I'm cute?" asked Ruby with a blush on her face.

Yang frowned, and Qrow and Tai cracked their knuckles.

… **Then a sober thought entered his mind, '…And she's in middle school. Dammit!'**

"Good call," said Yang, relieved yet with an edge.

'He's still dead…' thought Tai Yang and Qrow.

 **Ruby cocked her head to side, confused.**

" **Ahem!" said Velvet, who reentered the picture with broom in hand, "Ahem-AHEM!"**

" **What?!" snapped Jaune, "I can't concentrate with you lurking behind me!"**

" **And I can't leave you Ruby alone with a perv like you! I'm keeping guard," retorted Velvet.**

" **Whaddya mean pervert?! What have I done?" objected Jaune.**

" **You've done plenty! In the bath and the toilet," argued Velvet.**

 **Ruby moved in between the two.**

" **But Mr. Arc is just helping me study!" said Ruby.**

 **Velvet's face softened a little at the sight of Ruby, but her eyes still had an edge to them.**

" **Oh? Then maybe he can help me, too," said Velvet slyly, who pulled out a book from her shorts, "With this. Can you give me the answers?"**

 **Jaune gasped once he read the title of the book.**

" **That's… Beacon U's old exam questions?!"**

" **Oh?" smiled Velvet cunningly, "If you're at Beacon U, these should be a snap for you."**

"I think your counterpart suspects something," said Coco.

"Of course she does. I mean, you know how _I_ am when I get suspicious. If he's suspicious to her, she'll scrutinize him more," said Velvet.

 **Jaune was about to say something, but the expectant look on Ruby along with her clasped hands made him do otherwise. Velvet opened an ear-marked page, and handed it to Jaune. When he took it, he suddenly, he had an idea.**

' **Hold on! They think I'm a Beacon U student. This is my chance to show them I'm really not. They can't keep believing that misconception,' he thought.**

"Or, you can just come out, and say it," said Ghira.

"Indeed," added Ren, "This will only complicate matters, and make the reveal worse."

 **Jaune looked at the multiple choice questions, donned a cocky look, and tossed the book to the side to Velvet's shock.**

" **The first answer is C. Second is B," he began.**

" **What?! C and B?!" said Velvet who got her book, and turned back to the page.**

" **Then question three is D, and question four is A. Ha, Ha, Ha! How'd I do?" he asked confident in his plan.**

" **N… No way… They're all correct!" said Velvet.**

 **Jaune nearly tripped in shock.**

Ozpin, Glynda, and Pyrrha let their head fall into their hands.

"You can't be serious!" muttered Ironwood.

"I can't tell if the kid is lucky, or not," said Qrow.

" **Whee!" squealed Ruby in delight with stars in her eyes, and light blush on her face, "That's incredible, Mr. Arc."**

" **H-How did you…? And barely even looking…" stammered Velvet, who was honestly impressed.**

" **Hold on a minute!" objected Jaune.**

"Too late. The hole's already gotten deeper," said Ilia.

" **Amazing!" declared Ruby, "That's incredible! I'm so impressed, Mr. Arc. Can I call you 'Sempai?"**

"Someone's been watching Mistral anime," commented Sun.

"There's nothing wrong with that," said Ruby defensively, and Ren nodded in Ruby's defense.

"There isn't. Just don't go all 'Notice me, Sempai!' on us," said Yang.

 **Jaune rubbed the back of his neck nervously.**

" **Oh? Okay… I guess," said Jaune.**

 **Suddenly the familiar feeling of a ball-point on a fencing foil pressed against his throat.**

" **What are you drooling over, Mr. Jaune Arc," said Weiss tersely, "It's illegal to seduce a minor!"**

" **I… I'm sorry…" gasped Jaune.**

 **Suddenly Nora showed up.**

" **What's up, Velvet?! Is you plan failing?!" teased Nora, "I mean you had Weiss waiting and the wings, and everything.**

" **Oh, shut up!" shouted Velvet.**

 **Jaune felt a soft gentle hand wrap around one of his, and he turned to see Ruby had held him.**

" **This way, Mr. Arc," she whispered.**

"First Yang, now Ruby? Make it stop…" lamented Tai as images of another daughter leaving him appeared in his mind.

"Dad! Me and Jaune aren't like that! We're best friends," groused Ruby.

 **Ruby led him to the roof from earlier, and led him up the shingles.**

" **Wow," said Jaune at the sight of not just the sea, but the surrounding town.**

" **This is my special place," said Ruby.**

"You sure about that? Cause it looks like someone might be crushing…" teased Nora.

"What?" squeaked Ruby with a flushed face.

"Every relationship starts somewhere…" said Kali in a sing-song tone.

"Kali, don't antagonize the father of Blake's partner," admonished Ghira as Tai and Ruby denied things even more loudly.

"Agreed. Nora, don't tease Ruby," scolded Pyrrha, though she made a fist at the thought of more competition for _her_ Jaune.

" **What an incredible view! This really** _ **is**_ **special, Ruby," agreed Jaune.**

 **Ruby giggled, and stepped onto the roof ridge, and hopped along it with perfect balance.**

" **Ack! Be careful!" he called as he climbed on the shingles and tried to reach for her.**

" **Um, Sempai? Can I ask you something? Promise not to laugh?" she asked.**

" **Huh?" asked Jaune.**

" **Um…" began Ruby as she walked down the shingles back to the platform, "What does it feel like to be a student at Beacon University?"**

 **Jaune gulped, and took a breath.**

" **Y'know I…"**

" **It must feel great," interrupted Ruby with a dreamy voice, before a melancholy expression donned her face, "I… I'm just so terrible at studying. I'm sure… I'd never get into Beacon U, no matter how hard I try."**

 **Jaune stared at her.**

"… **No," said Jaune, "That's… That's not true!"**

" **Huh?" asked Ruby, surprised by his outburst.**

Ruby blinked, and leaned forward with interest.

 **Ruby had voiced some of his own fears about getting into school, and that would not do. Not for a girl as kind and gentle as her.**

" **I'm sure you can get in!" Jaune insisted.**

" **But you're smart, Sempai. It's easy for you to say that," said Ruby, downcast.**

" **It's not all about how** _ **smart**_ **you are," said Jaune.**

" **Really?" asked Ruby hopefully.**

" **You can't give up before you start, Ruby! If you give your best shot, you really could get into Beacon University," said Jaune.**

 **Ruby had a hopeful expression.**

"…Huh," said Tai Yang, "You know, maybe I've been a little too critical."

"I'll say," said Yang and Ruby.

It seemed to both of them that their dad was finally going to stop his "all boys are evil" attitude.

" **Look at me. Even I got it!" threw in Jaune.**

Everyone, but Raven, groaned, or gasped. In fact, Raven reclined a little out of boredom due to the lack of any action.

' **Huh?! Uh-oh!' he mentally screamed when he realized his mistake.**

" **Well… WOW!" cheered Ruby, "Thank you very much! The truth is, my grades have been pretty bad since I got into middle school. It really worries me."**

 **Jaune's heart plummeted at how Ruby bought his unintentional lie.**

" **But I feel so much better now!" she called over her shoulder, "Thank you very much, Sempai!"**

" **Er, hold on…" Jaune tried to reach for her, but she vanished down the stairs with cheer in her step.**

"… **Now I've done it," ground out Jaune.**

"Looks like the bed's been made," said Winter as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah… Sucks for him," said Sun.

"He should have stamped down and told everyone outright," said Weiss.

"Well, in Mr. Arc's defense, Ms. Adel's counterpart did not give much of window to refute her assumptions," said Penny.

 **Jaune had returned to the landlord's room, and slumped against the table.**

" **Ahh… Now what?" he moped, "I was just going with the flow, but I've made one misunderstanding into a huge lie. And to an innocent little girl, to boot. I'm so dead. I never expected this to happen. I'm not really… a Beacon U student at all."**

 **As he thought on it, especially how happy and hopeful Ruby had seemed, Jaune felt a new determination fill his heart.**

" **But now that it's gone this far, I can't let anyone find out. Sheesh!" he said as he pulled out some books from his bag, "I won't always be as lucky as I was today. And as a 'distinguished pupil' of Beacon University, I need to be able to solve certain problems. Well then lets' get to it…"**

 **So engrossed was Jaune, that he failed to hear the soft footsteps walking away from his door.**

"Oh no…" gasped Pyrrha.

"Who do you think found out?" asked Ilia, worried.

 **The next morning…**

 **Jaune was snoring upright, pen in hand.**

 **His head tilted, and his forehead hit his pen.**

"Ouch…!" said Sun and Ren.

" **AWK?!" he woke up immediately.**

 **When his vision came too, he sincerely wished he was seeing a nightmare.**

" **I worked the whole night, and I couldn't solve one problem!" he cried out at the sight of a blank page and workbook.**

" **Dammit! I'll have to use my secret weapon!"**

 **Jaune pulled out an energy shot, popped some pills, and drank the two down. His eye twitched a little, and a manic smile graced his face.**

" **Let's go!"**

"That's a lot of caffine," said Sun.

"It would have been better to down some espresso shots… Ooh, maybe I should try that," said Nora.

"No, you are forbidden," declared Ren firmly.

"Boo!" whined Nora.

 **Coco, who was about to greet Jaune leaned into the room, and saw Jaune work feverishly.**

" **Mornin'?" she said, but Jaune ignored her.**

 **Coco turned around and saw the other girls approach her.**

" **Would you look at that? He starts studying at the crack of dawn," said Coco proudly.**

" **Well…" began Weiss, a little impressed, 'Perhaps Velvet's suspicions are unfounded,' she thought.**

" **Ah! Morning!" said Nora, who only just noticed Velvet and Ruby arrive.**

 **Ruby and Velvet looked inside, and saw Jaune writing rapidly on his desk.**

" **Wow!" gushed Ruby softly, so as not to disturb him, "Sempai's really working hard.**

 **Velvet stared uncertainly at the blonde before she and Ruby rejoined the other girls.**

" **That does it!" Ruby declared with a determined look on her face, "I'm going to work hard, too!"**

" **What are you yelling about?" asked Weiss, confused.**

 **Ruby suddenly sent shy, and stammered a little.**

" **I'd better start acting like a girl, or I'll get left in the dust!" declared Coco.**

" **What are you talking about?" asked Velvet, a look of suspicion on her face.**

" **Y'know, since that guy came here, things have gotten a lot more cheerful in this dorm," commented Coco sincerely.**

"Jaune can have that effect on people," said Pyrrha.

"Yeah," said Ruby, "I remember how awkward I felt being moved two years early into Beacon. Jaune's awkwardness helped feel less alone… I mean-"

"No, no.," chuckled Pyrrha, "I know what you meant, Ruby."

"Indeed, he's always been there for our team. He's someone Pyrrha can feel normal around, and he's always willing to indulge Nora… usually," said Ren.

"Yeah! He's also been a great guy-friend for Ren. He'd probably go all nuts if he was on an all-girl team," threw in Nora.

Ren shuddered, and nodded.

 **Velvet's ears drooped a little, as a thoughtful expression graced her face.**

'Could she be the one who..?' Velvet trailed off that thought.

 **After several hours…**

 **Jaune looked at all the red markings on his papers, and his scores: 19, 25… He sighed, and let the papers fall on the table.**

' **Well, what did I expect? If I could solve these problems, I'd already be at Beacon U,' he thought.**

 **He looked out the window; it was already sunset. Jaune's stomach rumbled.**

" **Argh! I quit! There's no way I can pull this off!" he slumped onto the table, and groaned at his stomach's insistent demands, 'All that work, without food, for nothing,' he thought.**

"Don't give up, Jaune! You told my other counterpart to," said Ruby.

"Easy words to say. Harder to live up to them," threw in Raven.

Ruby frowned at Raven.

"Oh, I bet you'd know all about not living up to your words," said Qrow.

"If you're going to lecture me about my failures, sober up first, drunkard," said Raven with a scowl.

The Branwen twins growled at one another.

 **Jaune got his books, and put it in his bag.**

" **I better sneak out of here before I mess up somewhere. I suppose I'll have to go back home," he said to himself, 'I guess… I'll just have to give up on Beacon U,' he thought.**

 _ **Clack…**_

 **Jaune immediately grabbed the papers on his table, and moved and hid them when he turned to see…**

" **Velvet?!" he gasped nervously.**

 **Velvet had her eyes closed as she leaned down with a tea tray in her hands.**

"… **Why are you freaking out?" she asked as she stood upright, "I just brought you a snack.**

 **Jaune looked at the table and saw a sloppily made peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some hot tea.**

"Well, I guess some things are the same in every universe," said Coco.

"My sandwiches aren't that bad," growled Velvet.

" **What's with this sandwich…? It's looks different from Ruby's…" commented Jaune.**

 **Veltvet's brow twitched, and grabbed the plate.**

" **If you don't want them, I'll take them back!" growled Velvet.**

" **Wait!" Jaune latched onto the other side of the plate, "Wait! I'll eat them! Thank you very much!"**

 **Jaune grabbed a sandwich, and ate it.**

" **Wait a minute! These are good!" said Jaune.**

"See! Jaune appreciates my food," said Velvet.

 **Velvet's face flushed a little.**

"… **R-Really?" said Velvet softly.**

" **Really!" said Jaune sincerely, "They're delicious!"**

 **He took another bite, stopped, covered his mouth, and moved his tongue around. He discreetly pulled something out of mouth: a piece of vacuum seal?**

"Even that's the same?" asked Coco.

"Shut up!" said Velvet.

" **By the way, I heard a rumor…" said Velvet calmly, "They say that the miso-boiled lobster in the Beacon U Cafeteria is the best. Ever had it?"**

"…Does Beacon have miso-boiled lobster?" asked Blake, intrigued and curious.

"No," said Glynda.

"No…" wailed Blake, and Kali softly.

"Maybe we can make some in the kitchen?" suggested Ren.

The two cat ladies looked over to Ren with predatory gazes.

"Kali, Blake… No kidnapping," said Ghira.

The cat ladies harrumphed, but Nora scooted closer to Ren as a safety measure.

 **Jaune gulped.**

" **Y-Yeah. It's great! In fact, it's my favorite!" lied Jaune, "I can't start the day without some miso-boiled lobster!"**

" **Hmm…" Velvet shot an accusatory glare at Jaune, "You liar! There's no such thing as a miso-boiled lobster!"**

"Seriously? He fell for the oldest trick in the book," said Tai.

"Sounds like someone's talking from experience," said Yang.

"Summer was a master of it," said Qrow, "Spring break, late night parties, hours at the bar… She always found out how much fun we had in our school years using it.

 **Jaune stilled, with a deer in headlights look.**

" **Tricking junior high students with some story about the law school at Beacon U… when you've really flunked twice!" Velvet began angrily, "You're only in the 48** **th** **percentile… and you've left home without a penny to your name!"**

 **Jaune shrank. Velvet was scary before, but now she seemed terrifying to him.**

" **I can't stand liars like you! I'd like to chain you up, cut off your tongue, and drop you in hell!" Velvet howled.**

" **I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!" cried Jaune as he kowtowed, "I didn't mean to do it."**

 **Velvet stared angrily, before he snorted.**

" **Ha! You're hopeless," she giggled.**

 **Jaune blinked, and looked up at her.**

" **Huh…? I am?" he asked nervously.**

" **Joking! I'm** _ **joking**_ **! Give me a break," laughed Velvet, as she sat back down, "You think you can fool** _ **all**_ **of us so easily? Silly boy!"**

 **She flicked his forehead, and Jaune winced a little.**

" **I'll let you go this time," she said before she went to the window, "Ruby was so happy. She decided to try harder after you told her she could do anything. She's been really depressed recently… but she cheered up because of you!"**

"Cheered up...?" said Velvet before she giggled, "Yeah… It's kind of why I started crushing on him."

"It is?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yes," said Velvet, "Being held back a year, separated from my team… I was in a slump. Heh, even some brute whose ass I could have kicked got the jump on me."

"You mean Cardin?" asked Blake.

"Yes. When Jaune helped me with part of my make-up work to expedite my return to sophomore year, he was so patient and encouraging. He made the information I needed for my history essay easy to understand, and use to convey my argument. Because I got to return to my team sooner, I wanted to thank him," said Velvet.

"Last night, you mentioned you wanted to take him to the dance, I remember," said Weiss.

"I was so happy, I felt like I liked him, and I wanted to be sure," said Velvet.

"I see…" said Pyrrha.

It was a really touching story to hear, even if it came from the competition.

 **Jaune felt guilty at hearing that. Even though it did good for Ruby, it was still a lie. He returned his attention to Velvet, who leaned against the railing of his balcony.**

" **If you get into Beacon U next year, then your lie won't be a lie anymore, will it?" she asked before she faced him, "You can do anything, if you try hard enough. Just don't give up!"**

 **Jaune took in the image of Velvet with the night sky, the moonlight, and night lights of the town and the sea at her back.**

' **Cute…' he thought to himself.**

"Aww…! And you thought it wasn't your turn," said Coco.

Velvet blushed.

"He… He thinks I'm cute?! Yes!" cheered Velvet.

'Next time Jaune and I train, I'm letting my hair down at the end,' said Pyrrha, who mentally took notes.

'I can do that,' thought Yang as well, 'All I need is to get Jaune on Bumblebee, and take him to that hill that overlooks Vale…' Yang smirked at a new thought that came to her mind, "…All alone."

"Honey?" asked Tai.

"Nothing, dad," said Yang cheerfully.

 **Velvet then looked down, and saw the papers Jaune tried to hide.**

" **Hmm?" she picked them up and looked at them, "Wait! What's with these answers?! Did** _ **you**_ **do this?"**

" **Um…" began Jaune.**

" **This is the result of a whole night's work?! You missed this question?! I take it back! You'll never get into Beacon U!" mocked Velvet.**

 **Jaune's eyebrow twitched.**

" **What?" he growled, "What was that?! I take it back, too! You're not cute at all! Give me back my papers!"**

 **Velvet recoiled.**

" **Yeek! Don't touch me! What if stupidity is contagious?"**

"No, you ruined it!" complained Velvet.

Yang and Pyrrha cheered on the inside.

 **Jaune made for his papers and pulled, and Velvet held on to them tight. Both of their action were stronger than both anticipated.**

 **CRASH!**

" **Ah…" gasped Jaune.**

" **Er…" gasped Velvet.**

 **Velvet was on top of him, their faces, and lips, only inches away from one another. Jaune's breathing tightened. He had never been this close to a girl before, and if he dared to venture, neither had Velvet given her similar state.**

"Actually… carry on," said Velvet with glee.

Yang and Pyrrha huffed in frustration.

" **G-Get off!" breathed out Jaune nervously.**

" **No, you," said Velvet.**

" **Let go of my papers then," said Jaune tensely.**

" **P-Pervert!" muttered Velvet.**

 **Jaune blinked. Somehow it looked like Velvet had inched a little toward him.**

 **Jaune leaned forward a little, their breaths intermingled-**

 **SLAM!**

" **Ya in here Beacon Boy?" shouted Nora at the door, who was with the other girls.**

 **Weiss had her eyes closed with a blank expression on her face.**

" **We've got something for you!" cheered Coco with a bottle of champagne.**

" **Um… I made some sandwiches… So…" Began Ruby.**

'Cock-Blocked…' smirked Yang and Pyrrha evilly.

Velvet let out a frustrated growl.

"Damn… So close!" she muttered.

" **Yikes!" screamed Coco who saw Velvet on top of Jaune.**

 **The two looked to them as though they had been caught doing something naughty.**

" **Whoa!" added Nora.**

 **Ruby dropped the plate of sandwiches.**

 **Weiss pulled out her practice foil.**

 **Coco looked pissed.**

" **Velvet! You… And you were yelling at me?! Hypocrite!"**

 **Velvet snapped to.**

" **What?!" shieked Velvet, outraged.**

" **You've got it all wrong! She's the one who-" Jaune began as he pointed the finger at Velvet.**

" **What?! You're the one who-" objected Velvet her turned her body to face-**

 **BOING**

 **The two stopped, and looked down…**

 **Velvet's boob had bumped into Jaune's finger.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"Oh my…" blushed Velvet, excitedly.

" **Um… oops?" said Jaune nervously.**

 **Velvet back stepped, and kicked Jaune across the face.**

" **You're outta here!" she cried, embarrassed.**

 **As Jaune skidded across the floor, something fell out of his pocket, and Nora picked it up.**

" **Hmm? Pre… Hey… What's a preparation school?" asked Nora, who held up Jaune's student identification.**

 **Velvet looked stunned.**

" **Ah…" she began, but all the other girls looked at Jaune, with confusion and anger in equal measure.**

"Looks like the jig is up," said Qrow.

"About time. This kind of stuff isn't my thing. Maybe this'll make it end sooner," said Raven.

"Why don't you just disappear then? You did a pretty good job of it the past few years," said Qrow.

"Your pal wants me to watch. Plus, he took away my sword," said Raven as she pointed the thumb to Archie.

 **The next morning, Velvet, Coco, Weiss, Nora, and, off to the side, Ruby were outside the building, with Jaune before them in his hoodie with his bag.**

" **Falsifying school records… and grossly improper behavior are serious crimes. With no room for lenience," judged Weiss with a stern tone.**

" **So… You weren't at Beacon U, Beacon Boy?" asked Nora for a final clarification.**

" **I'm so glad I didn't go too far with him," Coco whispered to Velvet.**

 **Velvet rolled her eyes, but she did look at Jaune with a hint of sadness.**

 **Jaune looked to Ruby, who didn't look at him. But he could still see the hurt and betrayed expression on her face as she stared off to the side.**

' **She hates me now… They all do…' thought Jaune sadly.**

" **Then," continued Weiss, "As agreed, you must leave The Sunshine Inn. Is there anything you'd like to say before you go?"**

 **Jaune took a breath, and looked them all in the eyes.**

" **You guys… I'm sorry I lied," he began, "I'm not that smart, and I've hardly ever talked to girls before. I was so happy, it was too hard for me to tell the truth. It's only been a couple of days, but… I had a lot of fun. Thank you. So… goodbye everyone."**

 **He turned, one last look over his shoulder. Everyone, even Ruby, had given him his attention, but they all appeared unmoved. With that last look, he walked away.**

"Watching this… It hurts," said Ruby.

"What do you mean?" asked Weiss.

"What if Jaune had been found out before he proved he belonged at Beacon? I mean, I know you don't like him Weiss, but seeing this…"

Weiss sighed, and patted Ruby's shoulder.

"Do let it bother you. He's staying at Beacon now. Such thoughts are irrelevant," she answered back.

"That's right! Jauney's never gonna go away, so don't worry!" agreed Nora.

Ren and Pyrrha nodded, and Ruby felt a little better.

 **The girls all waited for him to fall out of view before they went inside.**

 **All of them, but Velvet.**

"Don't let him get away, young one," said Kali with encouragement.

"She can't hear you, dear," said Ghira.

"…" Velvet watched on, a kernel of a thought in her mind.

 **As Jaune made his way to the train station, something caught his eye.**

" **What a dirty old photo booth," said Jaune as he looked at the machine, "Maybe I'll take a picture as a memento."**

 **Jaune sat down, and pulled out a scrapbook from his bag and placed it next to him. He inserted some lien into the machine, and cycled through the options, and found a frame that looked like a spring with steam wafting in the air.**

" **This one," said Jaune.**

 **He pressed the button, and watched the countdown. Before it hit "1" he gave a peace sign with his eyes closed.**

" **Cheese!" he said.**

 **He felt something on his arm as the camera flashed and clicked. Jaune opened his eyes and saw the freezeframe of the image: he was doing his pose, and holding onto his shoulder and arm was Velvet with a soft smile.**

" **What are you doing?" asked Velvet teasingly, "A guy taking photo booth pictures by himself? That's depressing!"**

"She took my spot…" growled Pyrrha.

Velvet's ears perked up, and a part she never knew she had prompted her to smile.

" **Ack!" Jaune tensed and yelped, did you come here to make fun of my hobby, too?!"**

" **What are you talking about?" asked Velvet, who then saw the scrapbook.**

 **She opened it, and balked at what she saw.**

" **Hold on… What's this notebook?" she went through the pages. It was a collection of photo booth pictures, with Jaune by himself in every single one, "These are all of you alone?"**

" **Don't look! Give that back!"**

 **Velvet closed it, and offered it back to him, a soft expression on her face.**

" **Well, you say you're not an expert with girls, right?" she asked.**

" **Well…" began Jaune, who took back the book.**

Velvet, Yang, and Pyrrha made plans to get into a picture with Jaune in the future.

 **Jaune got the strip of pictures from the dispenser, and the two left the booth for a nearby bench in the station.**

" **What are you going to do now?" asked Velvet, "You don't have anywhere to go do you?"**

" **No," answered Jaune, "I could go home, even though I hate having to ask dad for help…"**

" **What about Beacon U?" asked Velvet.**

"…" **Jaune took a breath, "If I give up now, I guess I really will be a liar. I'll try for a little longer."**

 **Velvet smiled at that, and peeled off one of the pictures from the dispenser strip.**

" **That's great!" she said with a smile, before sticking the picture to Jaune's cheek, "Good luck, dummy!"**

"Yay! He's not going to give up!" shouted Ruby, "…Penny, you're supposed to cheer."

"I am?" asked Penny.

"Yeah! When good, uplifting stuff happens, people cheer."

"Okay, um… Hurray!" said Penny enthusiastically.

"Yay!" added Ruby.

"Dear god, there'll be two of them now," muttered Weiss.

" **Shut up! Leave me alone!" groaned Jaune as Velvet laughed, "But I'm glad you came. I finally got to take a photo booth picture with a girl."**

" **Too bad it was a girl like me!" teased Velvet as she stuck her tongue at him.**

" **I'm going to do it! I have to keep that promise I made from fifteen years ago!"**

 **Velvet blinked, and tilted her head to the side in confusion.**

"Promise?" asked Velvet.

"Oh, he must mean his first love," said Kali.

"First love?" asked Pyrrha.

"Young lady, weren't you listening to the boy. He mentioned he 'hadn't talked to girls in fifteen years.' Now he mentions a promise from 'fifteen years ago.' It's pretty obvious," said Kali.

"That means he promised this girl he'd get into the school for her," hypothesized Blake.

"Or _with_ her," suggested Sun.

"Damn, this is worse than a Rom-Com. It's a 'school romance' story," groaned Raven.

" **Well, if it isn't Jaune. What's up? You going somewhere," said a familiar voice.**

 **Velvet and Jaune turned to see Glynda approach with a packet of papers. Glynda looked at the two with an intrigued expression.**

" **Hmm? You're sure getting along well with Scarlatina," she commented.**

"So true…" said Velvet, as she smirked at Yang and Pyrrha.

"Whoa. What's with the attitude?" asked Coco, more intrigued than shocked.

"Well… I guess after watching this, perhaps I should take a more… active stance on getting what I want," said Velvet confidently.

"Good for you," cheered Coco.

"Hurray for you, miss!" said Penny who then turned to Ruby, "Like that, Ruby?"

Ruby was about to say "Yes," but sensed two dark auras behind her.

She dared to turn to see Pyrrha and Yang stare at her with extremely neutral faces.

"…Yes, like that" said Blake.

"Blake… you saved me!" cried Ruby as she glomped the faunus.

"Ruby!" yelped Blake.

"You shall forever be a 'Bestie, Better-Than-the Restie! Like Weiss," declared Ruby, which got a groan from Weiss.

"So good to see you made such good friends, Blake," said Kali happily.

"Yay…" sighed Blake as Ruby showed no signs of being dislodged.

" **Th-That's not true, Miss!" denied Velvet with a blush on her face.**

" **Aunt Glynda, I've decided to go back home," announced Jaune politely, "Could you send my love to grandma?"**

 **Glynda raised an eyebrow at that.**

" **I see. But that's not possible," she said and presented the papers, "Just got a fax from grandma, and something huge happened."**

" **Huh?" asked Jaune as he looked at the paper.**

 **Velvet looked over his shoulder.**

 _ **Real Estate Deed of Ownership**_

 _ **Land and Building**_

 _ **Name: The Sunshine Inn**_

 _ **Location: 406 N. Shore St., Maiden's Cove City, North Shore County**_

 _ **Buildings:**_

 _ **Main Building – North; Wood, Mortar, Tile Construction – 4 Stories**_

 _ **Main Building – South; Wood, Mortar, Tile Construction – 3 Stories**_

…

" **Real Estate… Deed of Ownership?" said Jaune breathlessly as he and Velvet kept reading through the papers.**

"Wait, what?!" gawked Weiss, "He's the owner of that dorm?"

"The building does belong to the family…" voiced Winter.

"But… You've got to be kidding," said Weiss.

" **It's all legal," said Glynda, "Grandma said she's giving everything to you.**

" **What?" said Jaune in shock and he turned to the last page.**

 _ **I, Celeste Arc, give to my grandson, Jaune Arc, the real estate in my possession, The Sunshine Inn, and the land it stands on.**_

 _ **August 10, XXXX**_

 _ **Celeste Arc**_

" **The Sunshine Inn is all yours! If you become the landlord," said Glynda.**

" **Landlord?!" Jaune and Velvet said as the train made its stop.**

"A young man in charge of a girl's dormitory… That's a terrible idea," said Glynda as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Ozpin chuckled.

'Lucky bastard…!' thought Tai, Qrow, and Sun, the first two wishing such a thing happened to them in their youth.

 **The door opened, and the conductor stepped out.**

" **ALL ABOARD!"**

 **Jaune looked at the door to the train, then to the papers in his hand.**

"Looks like he's found a place to stay," said Ozpin.

"It's a terrible idea," reminded Glynda.

"So was sneaking into Beacon with virtually no training. It seems to be working well for him back home," Ozpin reminded back.

"That doesn't mean you should green light this," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune stood before the girls of the Sunshine Inn with Glynda at his back. Velvet stood between Jaune and the other four, who looked confused as to why he returned.**

" **Hello, everyone," he began nervously, "I'm back. I'm here to tell you that… I'm g-gonna be the… the new landlord."**

 **Velvet saw her four housemates' eyes widen.**

" **Th…" began Coco, who broke the silence, "This…"**

 **Coco made a fist, Weiss drew out her foil, and Nora… she smiled playfully.**

" **IT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Coco and Weiss screamed as they moved to attack.**

 **Nora joined in for fun.**

" **I can't help it!" cried out Jaune as he tried to get away.**

 **Velvet, Ruby, and Glynda simply watched on.**

…

"Sensational!" cheered Penny, "My first movie as a real human. I am… I can barely describe my feelings…" said Penny.

"Try," encouraged Ruby.

"I feel… sad, and curious," Penny stated.

"Sounds like you're disappointed at where it ended, and you want to see more," said Velvet.

"Precisely!" answered Penny.

"Me too," said Velvet, who turned to Archie, "We'll we see more?"

"It depends on the randomizer," said Archie as he took out the volume from the VHS and sent it down the return slot to the Archive.

Immediately, a whole sleuth of volumes from the Archive was dumped into the bin, and Archie looked within.

"Hmm… Quite a number of military related ones…" said Archie.

Winter and Ironwood perked up at that, and felt excitement.

"Another romance as well…" said Archie.

Pyrrha, Yang, Velvet, Kali, and Blake all perked up while Raven gagged.

"Do you have anything… dramatic?" said Ghira.

"Yes, actually," said Archie, "It's military related too. Shall we see?" asked ARchie.

That got some nods form the audience.

"So, this is basically what we'll be doing? Watching movies about your friend Jaune?" asked Tai.

"Just think of it as movie night," said Ruby.

"I guess… as long as he doesn't steal you girls away," said Tai.

"DAD!" whined Yang and Ruby.

 **A/N: So aside from giving the older reactors a little pick-me-up, or easy watching for the newbies, I did this one to try to get a feel for the new dynamic. It was a little tricky working in Raven's reactions and the friction with her and the other characters, but I do like a challenge. Hopefully I did the reactions, and one of my favorite romance mangas… Actually the only romance manga I like, justice.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **When coming up with a Remnant equivalent for the Hinata Hotel, I looked up a translation of the name "Hinata," and came up with the Sunshine Inn.**

 **In the real estate papers Glynda gives Jaune, I wrote the year as "XXXX" because I don't know how the people of Remnant label their years. In the West, we have B.C. and A.D. for our years, and I know in Japan, which** _ **Love Hina**_ **takes place in, the title of the reigning emperor is incorporated into the calendar year when reviewing historical documents. However, RWBY's canonical histories lack this kind of a set up, so feel free to insert what you think the year is.**

 **I debated whether or not Ruby would call Jaune "Sempai." However after some thought, I decided that the title of address that Shinobu Maehara, who Ruby stands in for, uses for Keitaro Urashima, or Jaune in this case, is so woven into the 14 volumes of the manga, that to even consider changing it seemed like sacrilege.**

…

 **Thank you for reading, and please review**

 **Preview: A lute, and an empty fort…**


	16. ROTK: Come On In, Don't Be Shy

**Last chapter was a bit of a mixed bag for people. Well, Japanese humor isn't for everyone. Then again, there are times I don't get it either. Different tastes I suppose…**

 **Now then, in keeping with the list I made in the vignette chapter, this next one is** _ **Romance of the Three Kingdoms**_ **, which is the source material for Dynasty Warriors. The following scene is from a 1994 adaptation of the books, which is actually pretty similar to the Dynasty Warriors video games. Everything you love, or hate, in Dynasty Warriors is in this show. There's over-the-top kung fu, cheesy dialogue, and random poetry and theme/folk songs. And yet, there are some solid fighting and battle scenes in this particular adaptation, as well as great story moments. If I could describe it, it would be as if someone was able to seamlessly blend Adam West's** _ **Batman**_ **with Christopher Nolan's** _ **The Dark Knight**_ **…**

 **Seriously, I'm not kidding.**

 **For this reaction, I decided to go the road less travelled. While Jaune would have made a great Zhao Yun or Liu Bei, this one scene just kept coming to mind, especially given how terrible Jaune was with the guitar when courting Weiss. This scene is also one of the most talked about scenes in the entire drama, particularly among strategy fans.**

 **There's a YouTube video of this moment called "Zhuge Liang Fools Sima Yi With an Empty Fort." Again, it's from the 1994 adaptation, which does this scene the best in my opinion, if you're interested in watching it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994)**_ **is the work of… a Chinese Production Company? Not entirely sure, but** _ **they**_ **made it, not me.**

Chapter 16 – Come On In, Don't Be Shy…

"It's starting," said Ruby excitedly as the lights went down, and Archie put the volume in the VHS.

"You mentioned this was military related?" asked Winter.

"It is," said Archie, "Now please, no more words…"

Winter nodded and returned her attention to the screen.

…

 **At a war tent, several men in heavy armor stood before a man in blue, silk courtier robes with a white cotton tunic underneath. He had slightly wrinkled skin, blonde hair that started to go grey, and a grey-blonde beard. His eyes were blue, and he held a goose feather fan in his resting, wrinkled hands.**

"It's Jaune!" called out Ruby.

"Older Jaune, but what's with those guys' armor?" asked Yang.

"This appears to be a medieval setting, if the armor style and weapons are anything to go by," said Coco.

" **I have issued all of you your orders," said Jaune solemnly.**

 **Before him, a number of armored generals and commanders bowed in response.**

" **Yes, Consul!" the commanders chorused with a bow.**

"Consul?" asked Weiss, "Is that a military rank?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Archie, "In this universe, Jaune is the highest ranked official in the empire he serves. An equivalent rank in the Vale council would be the Council Minister."

"Arc? A Council Minister?!" yelped Weiss.

"That means Mr. Arc effectively runs the government," said Ozpin.

"But wait," began Ghira, "You said he served an empire. Shouldn't the emperor be in charge?"

"You will see," said Archie.

" **Go forth with speed and fortune," Jaune replied**

 **Jaune watched them leave with a stony countenance. As soon as they did, he sighed and looked at his map. He looked at all the key positions, and the blue flags he had erected at each of them, save one, dead center of all the other points. This point had roadways from all the others leading to it, and to their target destination: A red-flagged point of the enemy capital.**

 **Jaune closed his eyes and sighed sadly…**

 _ **A slightly younger Jaune knelt at the side of a bed that an older looking Winter Schnee rested on.**_

"Flashback!" called Nora.

"So it appears to be," said Glynda.

"Why am I in this?" asked Winter

 _ **Winter's breaths were labored, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. The stern woman looked to the side, and saw two young twin children, a boy and girl, and several courtiers kneel before her weakened form.**_

" _ **Retire, if you please, I must speak with my Consul," declared Winter.**_

" _ **Yes, Your Majesty!" bowed everyone.**_

"I'm… I'm the empress?" said Winter.

"An empire controlled by the Schnee family? What are the odds?" grumbled Ilia.

"You don't appear to be doing too well," said Ironwood.

 _ **Everyone left the room, and Jaune looked to Winter, who beckoned him closer. Jaune stood, and leant with a bow, for the sake of decorum. Winter peered past Jaune's robes, and chuckled.**_

" _ **You're the picture-perfect image of scholar, with the eloquence and intelligence to match. Yet, even after all these years, you're still wearing that old cotton tunic?" asked Winter.**_

 _ **Jaune looked, and felt his cotton shirt.**_

" _ **All I have now, I owe to you and your patronage. The tunic is a reminder of where I come from, and how high I've climbed. It's not every day a farm boy becomes a Consul, who advises Empress Schnee," said Jaune.**_

" _ **You give yourself far too little credit. 'Advisor' is too modest a title for the one who engineered my rise to power, and built my empire," snorted Winter.**_

That surprised everyone, even Raven.

"A self-made man… Impressive," said Kali.

"And he's a kingmaker, or queen-maker in this case," said Ren, in awe.

"Amazing!" said Pyrrha, "Jaune must have worked so hard to get to where he is."

"Empress Winter…" sighed Weiss dreamily, "I'll take it. Good work, Arc."

"Weiss, please," groaned Winter with an embarrassed blush.

"Jaune's so cool here," said Ruby.

"He must also be quite ruthless," said Ozpin, "A rise to power usually includes toppling bigger players. If he's from the country as well… A lot of feathers must have been ruffled."

"Or plucked," chimed in Raven, with an almost approving tone, "How many rivals did he destroy or ruin, I wonder."

"True…" said Ghira, who was all too familiar with power struggles.

Ruby and her fellow students gulped, except Penny, who was simply absorbing what she watched.

" _ **How sad must I appear?" asked Winter, "I've faced whole armies, and plots. I've narrowly evaded capture, and execution. But what is it that finally kills me? Illness."**_

Winter gasped a little at that.

"That's a sad way to go," said Qrow.

"Says the man who drinks himself into a stupor some nights," said Tai.

Raven gave an affirmative grunt.

"Yeah, well…" Qrow took a swig from his flask.

" _ **Your majesty, please do not say such things," said Jaune.**_

 _ **Winter scoffed, and looked to the side sadly.**_

" _ **Jaune… I fear for the future," said Winter.**_

 _ **Jaune looked to her, concerned.**_

" _ **How may I be of assistance?" he asked.**_

" _ **My son… and**_ **heir** _ **," said Winter, with a distasteful tone.**_

"That doesn't sound good," said Blake.

Winter frowned at her counterpart's tone. Not out of disapproval, but because she had a really strong idea of why she sounded that way.

" _ **My son… is a degenerate. He wastes his time with fickle pursuits, instead of learning governance. He spends money frivolously instead of investing it for the empire's future-" Winter coughed.**_

" _ **Your majesty…!" Jaune went to her side, but Winter batted his hands away.**_

" _ **And perhaps most troubling…" Winter gasped, "Most troubling… He prefers to take care of toy soldiers, as opposed to real ones. What kind of emperor will he make?"**_

"A bad one," said Ironwood.

"He likely leeched off of the glories of his predecessors," snarled Raven.

"What manner of parent was I in this universe? …Archie?" asked Winter, who hoped for an answer.

"It's a very lengthy backstory," said Archie, "I'll just say that in this universe, you are from a minor branch of what is the Schnee Dynasty. You have a claim to the throne, but a very distant one. Even so, you were actually quite poor."

"How?" asked Weiss and Winter.

" _ **I spared him from the life of scraping and poverty my disgraced ancestor led us to… But I overdid it. Now he's spoiled rotten…" sniffed Winter.**_

"Well, that answers that question," said Tai.

Winter sighed, the pieces of information formed the exact picture she expected.

"Winter?" asked Weiss.

Winter looked to her sister for a moment before a smile formed on her lips.

"Nothing, Weiss," said Winter, "…I am proud of you."

"You are?" asked Weiss, excited; then she turned thoughtful, "What brought his on?"

"You've turned out well," said Winter, "You had everything lined up for you at the company, and yet you chose a path for yourself at the risk of losing everything. Now you're in a position to accomplish your dreams, as both a huntress and the heiress."

Winter looked at her counterpart, and sighed.

"You will _earn_ your fortune and title, as grandfather did. Of this, I have no doubt," said Winter.

"Winter…" said Weiss sadly as she understood Winter's statement.

" _ **Jaune, please," began Winter, who struggled to hold up the small paper scroll she got from a sleeve in her robes, "This is my hand-written will and testament. Please hand it to my son and heir, and tell him to take my words seriously. He listens to you, more than even myself. I trust you will instruct and guide him."**_

 _ **Jaune stood up from the bed, smoothed his clothes, and took it ceremoniously from his ruler.**_

" _ **Your Majesty," he answered with a deferential bow to show his acceptance.**_

" _ **Please, forgive its ineloquent words, for I am more a warrior than a poet or scholar. However, that should make my wishes easier to understand," sighed Winter, "I had hoped that together, along with my friends and loyal generals, we would crush the usurpers that tore our empire apart, and restore the golden age of the Schnee Empire. I fear though that I have to leave you before our great endeavor can be completed."**_

"There was a civil war," said Ironwood.

"Yes, a destructive one," said Archie, "Several lords rebelled against the imperial family, and sought to claim the throne or control the emperor at the time of the insurrection's outbreak. Although there are no Grimm in this universe as well, there is still much death and destruction. The casualties civilian and soldier, already number in the millions."

"That's… horrible," gasped out Ruby.

The death toll was a dizzying amount, except for Ozpin and Ironwood, who lived through Mountain Glenn.

 _ **Jaune began to cry upon hearing his sovereign's sorrow.**_

" _ **My empress, please be at ease," Jaune wept, "I shall do my utmost to fulfill the cause we set out to accomplish!"**_

 _ **Jaune bowed low, and Winter coughed.**_

" _ **Consul. Consul," called Winter, and Jaune looked up, "I've more to say… as a friend."**_

 _ **Jaune looked up, stood and leaned in to hear.**_

" _ **What command do you have for me?" Jaune asked.**_

" _ **You're ten times wiser than our empire's enemies. You'll surely be able to safeguard our lands, and accomplish our great endeavor… I ask only this of you. If my son can be redeemed… If my children can be taught to rule, teach them. But if they turn out to be fools… then take my throne for yourself…"**_

 _ **Jaune stumbled back in shock, and almost fell on his back.**_

He wasn't the only one, as many in the audience, especially Winter and Weiss were shocked.

"Jaune… would get the throne?" gasped Pyrrha.

"He'll be king of the castle!" cheered Nora.

"Would he take it though?" asked Ren.

 _ **He was able to regain himself, and he got on his knees.**_

" _ **Your majesty, that is too much! How… How could I do otherwise than serve as your son's aide and vassal? I shall teach him all he needs to know, so I need not take his birthright! This is swear!" Jaune cried out sincerely, and he began to bow repeatedly.**_

" _ **Consul… You would deny yourself… for the sake of duty?" asked Winter, who then smiled sadly, "I knew… I knew I was right to make you my right hand, all those years ago."**_

" _ **Your Majesty…" Jaune wept.**_

"He's a fool. He could do so much with that kind of power," scoffed Raven, disappointed.

"Not everyone can just throw away a friendship like that," growled Yang.

Tai and Qrow tensed a little, instantly reminded of the STRQ's breakup.

"Oh? Do you have something to say?" prodded Raven.

"…No," grumbled Yang.

Tai sighed out, but relief did not last for long when he saw the same frown on the faces of both women.

" _ **Stand up, please," Jaune obeyed as the empress faced the entrance to his room, "My youngest children. My twins… Send for them," said Winter.**_

 _ **Jaune went to the door, and called for the two young children from before. When they arrived with their nanny, they presented themselves to their Winter.**_

" _ **Mother," they both greeted with a deep bow.**_

" _ **Dover, Willow, remember my words once I am gone, and be especially sure to tell your elder brother," began Winter, "You're to give the Consul all due diligence and respect, as though he were your father."**_

 _ **Jaune gasped at his sovereign's words.**_

" _ **Yes," replied both with a bow.**_

" _ **Pay him… his respects," she commanded.**_

 _ **Jaune's heart nearly broke when he saw the children bow.**_

" _ **Step-father…" they called him.**_

Winter and Weiss felt a pain in their hearts as they watched the scene. However, the part that got them most was warble in both the voices of Winter's counterpart, and the children.

"She's giving him custody of his children?" stated Glynda, who began to tear up at the sight.

"That's… Quite a level of trust between the two," said Kali.

"I have seen this universe extensively. The two have a bond that was forged in many wars and dangers," said Archie.

"It would also explain why Jaune's leading the armies instead of the heirs," said Ren.

Ren's words reminded Winter and Weiss of their father, in a way. Jacques had married into the family, took their name as his own, and engineered the rise of the SDC into what it was today. Their father had fulfilled his promise to their dying grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, to make the company as successful as possible for the family's future. However, the price had been their mother's sense of self-worth, their childhood, and the good name of their grandfather's legacy.

Now history repeated itself before their eyes as another Schnee gave the reigns of their legacy to someone outside the family. Except for one thing…

"…He's not like father," said Weiss.

"Weiss?" asked Ruby.

"Nothing Ruby, just… thinking," said Weiss.

Winter heard though.

" _ **Please, stand up," Jaune said as he all but ran to them and lifted them to their feet.**_

 _ **Jaune turned to Winter.**_

" _ **Your Majesty, please… reconsider," begged Jaune sincerely.**_

Winter remembered Weiss' muttering a moment ago, and she silently agreed on that front.

 _ **Winter smiled softly, and looked to the door.**_

" _ **The officials…!" she called.**_

 _ **Jaune turned to the nanny, who then ushered the ministers from before reentered the room, and joined Jaune and the two boys in bowing.**_

" _ **I've entrusted my children, including my heir, to the care of the Consul. Consul Arc is to serve as**_ **Regent** _ **until such a time he deems one of them worthy for the throne," said Winter, which caught Jaune by surprise, "This is my final command. Do not neglect your duties, and please continue to live up to my expectations."**_

" _ **Yes, Your Majesty," they acknowledged with a bow.**_

 _ **Winter nodded knowingly to Jaune, who seemed to have realized something.**_

"Father… Regent…" said Winter, who drew on some of her old training when she was heiress to the company, "It appears as though my counterpart made a compromise with him."

"Wait, what?" asked Ruby.

"What do you mean?" asked Weiss.

"A hypothesis on word usage, nothing more… To my counterpart's children, he will be seen as a _parent_ , but to the ministers, he will be the _regent_. As a regent, he will effectively be running the government, as we saw earlier. He seems dutiful enough that if my counterpart's children shape up, he will step down, as he declared."

"What if they don't get better?" asked Pyrrha.

"…I'm not sure. He doesn't seem the type to do so, but it wouldn't be uncommon for a regency to extend another generation," said Winter.

"That's one possibility," said Ozpin, "Another would be arranging for the royal family to figureheads, while a council or other powerful individual runs the government. The family retains its status, while others deal with the matters of the state until such a desirable royal heir comes along."

"Like a board of directors in a large company," compared Weiss.

"Yes, I suppose so," said Winter.

" _ **You're majesty, I swear to make your children into fine successors of your will," said Jaune with a deep bow, "But know that even if I were to work myself into dust, no feat of mine could ever match, or repay the kindness you have bestowed!"**_

" _ **I know, Consul. You have never let me down…" said Winter.**_

…

 **Jaune placed a red flag on the key point, and sighed.**

" **Your Majesty… I have let you down…" Jaune said to himself as his eyes watered.**

"He lost a battle, it seems," said Ghira.

"And a critical one, based on how he's handling it. Judging from the map, the area with the red flag was a keystone in the entire strategy," pointed out Ironwood, "See how it would link up to the other blue flags? Without it, his front line is likely to collapse. Not to mention it leaves a gap in his defense for an enemy to strike."

"So what happens now?" asked Ruby.

"If the position is so pivotal, without it, Mr. Arc has no choice but to retreat," said Penny, "I feel an ache in my chest."

"I think that's called sadness," said Pyrrha.

"I see… I don't like the feeling," replied Penny.

Ruby patted Penny on the shoulder.

 **A figure burst into the war tent, which caught Jaune's attention.**

 **He was tall with fair skin, and silver-white hair. He had an athletic physique, with a strong, masculine face, and a sword at his hip. He wore glittering armor with a white cape, and a shining helm.**

" **Prince Dover!" Jaune yelped in surprise.**

"Wait a minute! That little guy from the flashback?!" asked Yang.

"He's… grown…" said Pyrrha, a blush on her face.

"Well, the flashbacks do occur in the past," said Kali.

"Ooh! He looks so cool with the cape!" squealed Ruby, "He's like a prince in a fairy tale."

"Of… Of course he would look dashing. A proper Schnee strives for perfection," said Weiss, who was positively beaming.

Winter looked impressed as well, but she kept her own reaction to herself. She wanted to see how the man acted before she came to a conclusion.

 **Jaune struggled to get up, to give him a bow, but Prince Dover merely walked over and helped him up.**

" **At ease, Consul. There's no need to stand on ceremony, especially given current events," said Prince Dover.**

" **What are you doing here?" asked Jaune.**

" **I originally came here to help in the front lines. However, when I got here, I learned about what happened. Let me help facilitate the retreat," said Dover in a clear voice, "I have 2,000 men with me. So please, tell me where I can be most effective."**

"A man of action who looks good…? I like him," swooned Coco.

"He looks like grandfather," said Winter, "Remember the old photos of him?"

"Yes…" said Weiss, "And if Klein's stories are true, the personalities seem to match. Casual among friends, but decisive in adversity."

"I remember those stories," said Winter fondly.

 **Jaune smiled in approval.**

" **Well then, please come with me. There's a town where we hoarded a large number of supplies. We need to get there before our enemy does," said Jaune.**

" **Yes, fath… Err, I mean. Yes, Consul," said Prince Dover, embarrassed.**

 **Jaune chuckled a little.**

" **It's fine," said Jaune, "You children only need to mind how you address me when we're in public. Now come, we have much to do."**

" **Yes," replied the prince with eagerness.**

"Jaune seems to get along with your children," said Glynda.

"They aren't mine," said Winter, almost sadly.

"Even so…" said Glynda.

"It's kind of weird seeing a prince address someone who is technically beneath him like that," said Nora.

"Not at all," said Winter, "It's clear that Arc is in charge of the operation. Even a prince, has to respect the chain of command."

"If you say so," said Pyrrha.

Winter's mouth curved up slightly, proud of the way the young prince carried himself. He didn't seem arrogant, or stuffy either.

'Your mother would be proud of you,' Winter thought.

 **A large army casually marched down the hills toward the south, where the enemy forces held sway.**

"That army looks different, judging from the armor and the banners," said Tai.

"Those must be the usurpers Winter's counterpart mentioned," said Glynda.

 **At the head of this army was a woman with long, jet-black hair, and amber eyes with pale skin. She wore red, silk robes with a suit of black and gold lamellar armor.**

" **Lady Cinder!" called out an approaching rider.**

 **Lady Cinder turned to greet her lieutenant, a young woman with mocha skin, and red eyes. She wore white silk robes, with khaki leather armor**

" **Emerald," greeted Cinder.**

"Hey, isn't that the girl who helped apprehend Torchwick?" asked Blake.

"Yeah, it's Emerald, and that's her team leader, Cinder," said Ruby, "I wonder what they're doing here?"

" **My lady, why do we march so casually? Why not follow up our victory with a pursuit of the retreating enemy?" asked Emerald.**

 **Cinder smirked.**

"…That expression," said Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha?" asked Ren.

"Nothing… just…" muttered Pyrrha, 'Could that be… No, I need more proof before I start throwing accusations,' she thought.

" **Hmm… It was sheer luck that we won our victory earlier," said Cinder Fall, "Consul Jaune Arc is no ordinary man. If we gave chase, there is the possibility of an ambush, especially given the care he puts into his strategies. It wouldn't surprise me if he had reserves in position, in the event of a loss. We could find ourselves in a pincer if aren't careful."**

" **I see. I understand; thank you, my lady," bowed Emerald.**

"It appears Jaune has a reputation among his enemies," said Ren.

"He must be quite frightening if they are afraid to pursue a retreating enemy," said Penny.

"A reputation such as that might save him, since it appears he's on the back foot," said Winter.

 **Another rider approached. He had Mercury-colored hair, and grey eyes. He had black silk robes with steel lamellar armor.**

" **Mercury," greeted Cinder.**

"That's their teammate also," pointed out Ruby.

Everyone nodded along.

" **My lady," began Mercury, "Why are you leading our army of 150,000 in person. We're just going to take a small hilly town?"**

" **The town we're heading for is indeed small," began Cinder, "However, it has a large number of granaries. Furthermore, it sits on a road network that not only connects to our lands but to our enemies'. If we take control of the town and the granaries, we'll have enough supplies as well as road access for multiple campaigns. Our kingdom can sweep aside all resistance in the immediate area."**

 **Cinder raised a riding crop, and slowly gestured for her army to move.**

 **The soldiers picked up the pace, and Cinder turned to Emerald.**

" **Scout ahead and give me a report on the situation there," she ordered, and then she turned to Mercury, "Lead the cavalry to guard our flanks. Both of you, keep an eye out for ambushes."**

 **The two nodded, and Mercury galloped off to carry out her orders. Emerald rode a little bit faster before she turned to Cinder.**

" **Don't worry my lady, victory will soon be ours. After today, all doubts about you in the royal court will be gone!" declared Emerald, before she rode ahead.**

 **Cinder watched Emerald ride off, an expression of doubt on her face.**

" **If only doubt were so easy to erase in the mind…" she said before she turned to face her men, "Steady march!"**

"She must not be very popular where they're from," said Kali.

"And defeating Jaune could be her ticket to their good side," said Sun.

"Unlikely; it will just add to the fears of those who are suspicious of her," pointed out Raven.

"…True. If Consul Arc scares his enemies, how would those same enemies feel about the one who beat him," said Ghira.

That got everyone thinking.

 **An old man with a record book followed Jaune, his twin female attendants, Melanie and Miltia, and Prince Dover as supplies were being loaded onto carts. Prince Dover's soldiers expedited the process, but they were still under a lot of pressure to finish quickly.**

"Hey, it's the twin girls from Junior's club," said Yang.

"The ones that were kidnapped in that one universe where Blake got stabbed?" asked Velvet.

"Yeah, but they're at their normal age," said Yang.

" **Consul…" the elderly man began.**

" **We must move the stores to the back line. Leave nothing for the enemy forces," said Jaune.**

" **Yes, Consul," said the elder.**

" **All provisions need to be ready to move before they arrive," Jaune continued.**

" **Yes. We have been loading as soon as we received the order. Half the grain has been loaded now," said the elder.**

 **Jaune nodded thankfully, and continued to observe the work of the townspeople when a soldier ran up to him.**

" **Consul," the soldier called before he knelt, "Consul, an army of 150,000 troops led by General Cinder Fall is marching down from the north to our position."**

 **Jaune gasped, as did everyone and all work stopped. The elder dropped the record book out of shock, and Jaune looked down to it. He donned a serious look, and stood up straighter.**

" **Pick up the grain book," he ordered softly.**

" **Yes, Consul," said the man nervously, before he picked it up.**

"Talk about commanding," said Coco, "He didn't have to yell or anything.

"Wow, Jaune's pretty serious right now," said Ruby.

"He has to be. The enemy is getting closer, and thus needs to show he is still in control. Otherwise the soldiers, and the town's populace could get antsy, which does not bode well for discipline," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune went to the walls, and looked toward the northern horizon. He saw a cloud of dust in the distance, and knew instantly that it was an army.**

 **Jaune began to fan himself as he took a breath, the moment he faced Prince Dover, the young prince stepped forward.**

" **Take down all the banners on the city walls, except mine, and conceal them in the city. Keep working until I give the order for silence, and make sure things remain quiet. Whoever moves around and makes any noise will be instantly put to death," said Jaune firmly.**

Jaune's friends gasped, or gulped at his orders and how coldly he gave them.

" **No one is act recklessly when the enemy arrives."**

" **Yes, Consul," said Prince Dover, and moved and ordered the soldiers in the town to do as instructed.**

 **Jaune gave the cloud one last look at the cloud in the distance, and went to an impromptu war room. He looked over the map of the town, and racked his brain for any strategy that could prove advantageous.**

" **Two thousand men at my disposal… But I only have civic officials," muttered Jaune as he fanned himself to calm down, "All our best warriors and generals have been sent out to organize our retreat, and Prince Dover is far too valuable… This hills could provide cover, but I don't have enough troops to be frightening for such an opposing force…"**

"Come on, Jaune. You can do it," said Nora.

"The odds are not in his favor," said Penny.

"Even if the odds are against him, he can still win. He just needs to put on his thinking cap," said Nora.

"…It's possible, Penny," said Winter, "Military history is full of examples of smaller armies overcoming larger ones."

"That's true. I do recall such events as part of my education," said Penny.

"… **There's nothing I can do for what I have available," said Jaune sadly.**

 **Jaune tossed his fan to the side, and it landed on his zither.**

 _ **Jnn…**_

 **Jaune stopped, and looked at the instrument.**

"Looks like he's got an idea," said Velvet.

"What? The power of music?" asked Weiss sarcastically.

"…"

After the moment of silence, the audience looked at one another.

"You can't be serious… I was joking!" said Weiss.

"… **It's a stupid plan. Definitely not something I would do," Jaune said thoughtfully, "But if my spies are correct, it's my best chance. Melanie, Miltia, get me incense!"**

 **Jaune got his fan, and the zither both.**

"What's he going to do? Play the enemy commander a love song?" asked Tai Yang.

"Do you think she'll… _fall_ for it?" asked Yang.

"Ugh…!" groaned everyone, except Tai, who laughed.

"That's dumb…" scoffed Qrow.

"Another reason why I left," muttered Raven to herself.

"Oh, I get it! That was so witty, Yang," said Penny, who laughed.

"Aww… Thanks, Penny. At least someone appreciates good humor," said Yang.

 **As the people continued to load up grain onto the wagons a loud noise could be heard over the walls.**

 **Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump…**

" **The enemy draws near!" called a lookout.**

" **Alright. Get down, and get everyone quiet," said Prince Dover who then turned the soldiers and townspeople loading the grain, "All stop. All silent."**

" **Wait," called out two teens with two ends of a large grain bag their hands, "This is the last."**

 **The young prince got the bag from the teens and loaded it onto the wagons. As he did, the lookout who sighted the enemy informed Jaune, who simply nodded as he heard the rhythm of their march.**

" **Total silence," Jaune reminded the soldier, who nodded and went to tell the townspeople.**

"I guess this is it. We'll see what he does," said Ironwood.

"Whatever his plan is, I hope it works," said Blake.

 **Cinder Fall approached the walls, raised a hand, and her lieutenants halted their respective columns. Immediately, the soldiers stomped, and stamped the butts of their spears on the ground.**

 **CLACK!**

 **Cinder looked around at the silent scene before her. The total silence from the town, and the surrounding hills and country, was eerie and unsettling.**

" **No banners save one, no warriors to challenge, not even a token force of archers…" she began before she turned to Mercury, "Coax him out."**

 **Mercury rode forward a little.**

" **DRUMS!" he called.**

 **Immediately several soldiers interspersed through the army began to beat their drums. Spears stamped on the ground, and axes and swords beat against shields**

" **Consul Arc! Your reign of terror on our lands has come to an end. Surrender!" he cried over the noise.**

 **The army behind shouted taunts and jeers mightily into the air…**

 **Silence was the town's reply.**

" **Are you a coward?! Do you think your walls will protect you?! We will smoke you out like the rat you are! Just like we did to your men last night!"**

 **Again, the drums and shouts of the army tore through the silence…**

"…"

 **There was still no response…**

"What's he doing?" asked Weiss.

"Maybe he chickened out?" suggested Ilia.

"No! He'd never," insisted Ruby.

 **Cinder had raised a hand to halt the noise.**

" **Something is not right…" she said.**

 **Just then, Emerald trotted on her horse forward with a focused gaze.**

" **Look! It's him!" she pointed.**

 **Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald turned and saw a figure walk along the battlements. The dust from the nearby hills, and the wind obscured a clear visual of the man. However, the twin moon banner over the gate, coupled with the swaying of a signature fan in the figure's hands was a clear indicator.**

 **Just then, the gates opened.**

 **Cinder Fall, and her lieutenants drew their swords, and soldiers of the army lowered their spears to greet whatever army Consul Arc sent out.**

" **Prepare for batt-" called Mercury.**

 **BAAA!**

" **-le?" Mercury stumbled with his words.**

 **Flocks of sheep and goats left the city, and hopped out as they were ushered by shepherds and other townsmen.**

"What?" blinked Raven.

Everyone recoiled, but with similar thoughts.

 **The army was confused, and when f** **our large oxen left the gate afterward and some of the townsmen began to sweep the pathway to the city, as though to prepare it, whispers broke out in the army.**

"Um… I guess the sheep and cows are part of the plan?" asked Ruby.

"I suppose…?" said an uncertain Pyrrha.

 **In the town, Prince Dover turned to a soldier.**

" **Who opened the gate?" he whispered.**

" **It was the consul's orders," replied the soldier quietly.**

 **Prince Dover became thoughtful, and nervous.**

"He opens the gate to the enemy?" asked Ghira, "What kind of commander would do such a thing?"

Ironwood suddenly became very interested.

'Wait, is he…?' he thought, as the gears in his head began to turn.

 **Cinder Fall took in the scene, and her mind calculated what she witnessed before her.**

 **As Cinder hesitated, Jaune Arc sat at a gap in the crenellations of the gatehouse, with his twin attendants at his back with one holding a sword, and the other his fan in their arms. Before him was a pot of burning incense, and his zither. He laid his fingers upon the strings, and plucked.**

 **The zither's note cut through the silence, loud and clear, and Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald whipped their heads to the noise.**

 **Jaune calmly played the music from his instruments with his eyes closed.**

"What kind of plan is that?" asked Ilia, confused.

"A stupid one," said Raven, unimpressed, "He's exposing himself to archer fire."

RWBY, NPR, Sun, Velvet and Coco tensed upon hearing that.

"He's in no danger," said Archie, "The niceties of war in this universe would never permit such an act."

The same students sighed in relief, Raven rolled her eyes.

"…Ooh, I know what he's doing!" said Penny.

"You do?!" everyone but Ozpin and Ironwood said.

The two headmasters simply listened, each coming to a similar conclusion.

 **The music was such a sharp contrast to what Cinder and her army gave moments ago, and in fact, Cinder looked stunned by the development. She was incredulous as she looked at Jaune playing the instrument before her army with the gate wide open.**

" **Looks like he's gone mad at the sight of our forces. Let's take the town!" said Mercury.**

" **Yes, my lady!" agreed Emerald, "Let's go in. Once we capture him-"**

 **Cinder Fall raised her hand to cut Emerald off.**

" **Don't be rash…" said Cinder, who gave a gesture.**

 **The soldiers at her back went at ease, and Cinder continued to listen to the music. The music played on, slow and steady with playful embellishments. Cinder closed her eyes with a thoughtful expression, and eased into the sounds. This continued for a few more moments, until both Jaune and she opened their eyes.**

 **As Jaune observed the enemy army still outside, at ease, Cinder Fall began to smile a little as she watched Jaune continue to play.**

" **This music… It reminds me of the sea crashing into a stony shore, or a fierce wind beating back clouds. He makes the strings sound like the drums of war, and the march of 1,000,000 soldiers," commented Cinder.**

"What is she talking about?" asked Ilia.

"Wait a moment… I understand," said Winter after a moment's thought, "Penny, were you thinking this was an act of psychological warfare."

"Precisely!" cheered Penny.

"Psychological warfare?" asked Weiss, curious.

"Mr. Arc is playing games with the enemy commander's head," began Ozpin.

"Yes," agreed Ironwood, "Psyche warfare is usually employed to either instill fear, or sow doubt among the enemy. Perfect for an army with the odds against it."

"And the music?" asked Blake.

"Music has always been used in warfare," said Ozpin.

" **My lady, I don't understand. It's just music," said Emerald.**

" **What do you think our drums are?" pointed out Cinder.**

 **Emerald turned thoughtful.**

"See?" pointed out Ozpin.

" **Listen closely," said Cinder, "Passive, calm, gentle, even welcoming… Each note delivered is strong, deliberate, and precise. It's a beautiful melody… Too beautiful for a troubled man to play. If the Consul is playing such a melody with that degree of skill in the situation he's in… He's scheming something."**

 **Jaune continued to play, a drop of sweat fell from his brow. He inhaled the incense that burned near him to steady his heart and mind, and to keep the music at a steady rhythm.**

" **Orders…" began Cinder Fall, and her lieutenants perked up, "The rear guard is to become the vanguard. We are heading back north."**

"It's working?" asked Sun.

"It's working!" cheered Velvet.

" **My lady, why are we leaving?" asked Mercury.**

" **Consul Arc is goading us to take the town, but I will not fall for his ploy," answered Cinder.**

 **Jaune began to sweat a little more at the lack of movement from the enemy.**

" **With all due respect, my lady, it's such a small town. Whatever garrison it has could never take us down. We have more than enough men," argued Mercury in a respectful tone.**

Everyone, even a discreet Raven, leaned in, and wondered if someone would actually call Jaune's bluff.

" **True no garrison of such a town could hold us off. But this is Consul Arc. We** _ **will**_ **take losses, and we** _ **will**_ **expend supplies to take such an important prize. Are we to take the town, only to be surrounded deep in enemy territory far from our base of operations in a weakened state?" snapped Cinder.**

 **Mercury was silent at the question.**

" **A principal rule of the Art of War is to know your enemy," declared Cinder, "I have studied Consul Arc's plans: extremely careful, and runs no risks. Now look, the gate is open wide, yet there are no enemy officers or soldiers coming forth to drop their arms in surrender. Not to mention that music; despite its gentle melody, there is a tone of a fighting spirit. This** _ **is**_ **a trap!"**

 **Jaune plucked a string-**

 **Twa-nng!**

Everyone gasped, though Raven tensed a little.

 **Jaune's hand went still, and his breath caught and the sight of his zither's snapped string.**

 **Cinder gasped at the sudden stop, and her men became uneasy at how nervous their commander appeared.**

" **That must be the signal… FALL BACK!" declared Cinder.**

" **Retreat!" cried out Emerald.**

" **To the north! Retire to the north!" shouted Mercury.**

 **The men made an about face, and began to retreat. A cloud of dust was kicked up by their sudden departure, but Jaune payed it no heed, still unnerved by what happened with his zither.**

" **Consul! Consul, look!" said the town elder, "Cinder Fall's army has retreated!"**

 **Jaune looked up slowly, and saw at last the retreating army that had threatened him and the town. As soon as they were out of sight over the horizon, he let out a sigh of relief and slumped.**

"It worked!" cheered Pyrrha and Ruby as they hugged each other in relief.

Everyone sighed out, and eased up.

"I was actually worried for a moment," said Weiss.

"You aren't the only one. Jaune looked like he was going to shit bricks," said Yang with a chuckle.

 **He picked up the broken string, and ran his fingers along the length.**

" **A risky plan… Far too risky for my liking, but given my lack of options, there was no helping it," said Jaune.**

 **He struggle to get up due to his nerves, but an ecstatic Prince Dover and the town elder helped him get back up.**

" **Consul, if we were you, we would have simply fled," said Prince Dover.**

 **Jaune chuckled, and shook his head.**

" **Our generals are facilitating the retreats from the front, we only have 2,000 men and civil officers among our ranks here. If we tried to run, we would have been captured for sure, even if we didn't take the grain with us," said Jaune, as he wiped his face with a silk cloth.**

" **How did you know that Lady Cinder would not attack?" asked the prince, still amazed at the turn of events.**

" **Know your enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles" recited Jaune, "No doubt she will have studied my tactics, and the fact that I play things safe. In turn, I too have studied the tactics of all of our enemy's commanders, and my spies have informed me of Lady Fall. She is cunning, ruthless, and highly intelligent. Too intelligent, even, and prone to assumption. When I tried a risky plan, I gambled on the fact that she knew my methods, and would assume that it was all a trap for her. If we faced a far more reckless or hot-headed enemy, we would have been captured."**

"That… was a pretty ballsy move," said Raven, approvingly

"What's this? Are you showing admiration?" teased Ozpin.

"Why not? Arc showed cunning, and tactical knowledge. What isn't to admire?" shrugged Raven.

"Indeed, color me impressed," said Winter, in an almost swooning fashion.

Pyrrha tensed at Winter's response.

'Not another one!' Pyrrha anguished from within.

" **Tell me, has the grain been loaded?" asked Jaune as he went down the stairs from the battlements.**

 **The elder approached with the grain book.**

" **We've managed to load all the grain. We can start to move right away," said the elder.**

" **Send them off immediately. Oh, and tell the people to take essentials and come with us, for Cinder Fall will surely return, perhaps with a larger army," said Jaune.**

" **Yes, Consul," said the elder, "Uh, where is your main army?"**

" **I have no main army, with me," chuckled Jaune, "I just have an empty town, and a zither."**

 **The elder dropped the book in shock.**

 **Jaune looked at the elder with a calm gaze, picked up and dusted off the book, and handed it to him with a wry smile.**

" **Please, escort the people and stores as soon as possible," said Jaune.**

" **Y-Yes sir," said the elder.**

…

"That was pretty cool," said Ruby.

"I know! I have studied psychological warfare, but to see it as I am now… I got lost in the music, it was amazing," said Penny.

"A shame he can't play like that. He might have gotten Weiss, if he could," said Yang.

"He wasn't _that_ good," mumbled Weiss with a flushed face.

"I thought it was quite good," said Winter.

"You just liked it could you were an empress in this one," said Qrow.

"That's not… entirely true," muttered Winter.

 **A/N: A short chapter, mostly because there as so many characters in ROTK that I didn't really have enough RWBY characters to fill every role that was needed for a larger chapter. I also got creative with the content so that it could flow properly as a result. Now that the more mellow chapters from the list are done, I can get to the more action-packed stories.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Prince Dover is not Weiss, for those who recall my Rule 63 chapter. Dover was just an ancestor I came up with for the Schnee Family.**

 **This is one of the most hotly debated scenes in the drama. Some people argue that in the books, and show, Sima Yi actually knew Zhuge Liang's plan. He only allowed it to work so that the court of Wei would not have a reason to get rid of him. No one trusted Sima Yi, not even Cao Cao.**

 **Consul is the title of the highest ranked senator of the Roman Republic. It was supposed to be used as a title in a larger world building description of the AU's version of the Three Kingdoms-Remnant.**

 **I used the 1995 variation of Liu Bei's death scene to highlight Jaune's motivations for invading enemy territory.**

 **While the plan may seem fantastical, even by the standards of the "Romance of Three Kingdoms" books, someone did actually use a variation of this strategy to score a major victory. According to** _ **official sources**_ **, Ieyasu Tokugawa, the man who would eventually become Shogun of Japan, used a variation of the "Empty Fort Strategy" to beat Takeda Shingen, a famous and powerful warlord at the time. After crushing Tokugawa's forces at Mikatagahara, Shingen moved to take down the castle Ieyasu fled to. Ieyasu ordered the gates to be open, all lamps and torches lit, and for war drums to beaten. Thinking that there was a large army in the castle, Takeda made camp instead of attacking. While the Takeda forces were distracted, Ieyasu attacked the main camp just enough to panic the Takeda forces into retreating.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please Review**

 **Preview: Random title from the list in** _ **Chapter 14**_ **.**


	17. COD Black Ops: 8 Step Program

**So for upcoming chapters that I listed, since I have a number of COD reactions lined up, I chose to do a COD, followed by an anime from the list. After the anime, it will be another COD and so forth. Also, before LOTR, I will do another God of War chapter, now that I found a scene for Tai and Raven to react to. I also want to do this since LOTR will be a multi-chapter epic reaction.**

 **Anyway, today we are going to Russia, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Call of Duty: Black Ops**_ **is the property of Treyarch and Activision.**

Chapter 17 – Eight Step Program

"I wonder what the next one is going to be about?" asked Ghira.

"Any hints you can give us, Archie?" asked Sun.

"Hmm… It's military related like most of the ones in this batch, and it may strike home for some in this room. You'll just have watch and find out, I suppose," answered Archie.

"Well that's vague," said Tai, as the lights dimmed down.

Archie slipped the volume into the VHS…

…

 **Jaune's head, legs, and wrists was strapped to a chair in a dark room. The only lights were from medical equipment strapped to him, a series of television screens, and a bright window with two black silhouettes of figures.**

"Jaune!" cried out Pyrrha.

"Looks like an interrogation," said Qrow.

"Military related… Perhaps he's a POW," stated Ironwood.

"That means 'Prisoner of War,' right?" asked Ruby.

"Correct," stated Penny.

" **It was a setup, they knew we were coming. The bastards," said Jaune.**

" _ **Dragovich…"**_ **said a distorted voice.**

" **Yeah… They were behind everything," said Jaune.**

" _ **Where did they take you?"**_ **asked the interrogator.**

" **To Russia. A labor camp. A hell hole called Vorkuta!" Jaune shivered as memories began to surface, "God… the mines… The dark… the beatings…"**

Ilia froze at Jaune's description of the place.

"Like some of the SDC mines," Ilia got out.

"Are you… Are you certain?" ventured Weiss.

Ilia's eyes flashed with anger.

"My parents died in SDC mines! I'm damn sure!" she snapped.

Weiss recoiled from the outburst, and Ilia ignored the frown Winter delivered.

 **Jaune struggled against the binds, in the hopes it would somehow end the memories.**

" **Oh, my God…" Jaune nearly wept.**

" _ **What did they do to you, Jaune?"**_ **asked the interrogator, almost gently.**

 **Jaune let out a bitter, hollow laugh.**

" **What didn't they do to me…?" he chuckled darkly as tears fell.**

"Someone's getting their legs broken!" shouted Nora.

"I'll help," muttered Pyrrha.

"While I do share the sentiment, you can't do anything from here," said Ren.

The girls of JNPR huffed at Ren's logic.

" _ **Why didn't Castro just kill you? Why did he give you to Dragovich?"**_ **asked the interrogator after a moment.**

" **Because they were working together!" Jaune lashed out.**

"I don't think that's an interrogation. Mr. Arc's a little too cooperative with his questioners. It's almost like it's a debriefing," said Glynda.

"Hmm… You may be right, but tone of the people asking questions, not to mention the secrecy says otherwise," said Winter.

"Perhaps it's a bit of both," said Ozpin, "Perhaps the interrogators need to know how something happened, but it occurred in Mr. Arc's past."

"That's a strong possibility," said Ironwood.

" _ **Yeah, you were a gift…"**_ **said the interrogator.**

" **Yeah… right," said Jaune.**

" _ **And you were taken to this gulag, Vorkuta,"**_ **said the interrogator.**

" **I had to fight… just to survive," Jaune shivered.**

"Was it the same for your parents?" Ghira asked Ilia.

Ilia turned to him, and nodded.

"I see… Perhaps not the way you do, but I see. If you're willing, maybe we can talk about it at a later date…"

"…" Ilia said nothing.

"Well… Think on it," said Kali.

Ilia nodded.

" _ **What happened in Vorkuta, Jaune?"**_ **asked the interrogator.**

" **I was on my own," said Jaune distantly, lost in the memories, "…Almost a year."**

" _ **Think, Jaune!"**_ **shouted the interrogator,** _ **"What did they do to you?!"**_

" **I'd given up hope of ever getting out…" Jaune ignored and muttered, "But Viktor Reznov found a way…"**

…

 **Jaune was grabbed by the collar, and brought face to face with an older Russian man with a beard and moustache, and prison clothes.**

"Another flashback," said Tai Yang.

" **You will break, American," said an old man as he wound up his fist.**

 **The image froze.**

" _ **Viktor Reznov," said the interrogator.**_

" _ **My friend," said Jaune.**_

 **The memory resumed, and Viktor punched Jaune to the ground and held him down as the other prisoners cheered.**

Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren frowned at Jaune's "friend."

"Some friend," said Tai.

"Friends fight," said Sun.

"Wow, gotta give props to that old guy if he can knock back Jaune like that," said Yang.

"Mining is grueling work. I remember when I was a kid, dad could lift me up with one arm…" Ilia said fondly. Ilia then turned thoughtful, "Wait, that punch should have hit harder."

"Maybe he's just old," shrugged Nora.

Ilia wasn't so sure.

 **Reznov was distracted by the applause, and Jaune moved.**

" **Damn Russian!" Jaune shouted, and he punched back.**

 **The elder Russian fell onto his back, and rubbed his cheek.**

" **You hit like a child!" Reznov mocked.**

 **A guard with a club approached, and began to shout. Despite his time in Vorkuta, Jaune's Russian wasn't anything to tout about, and there was a lot he didn't quite get. However, pissed and angry didn't need much translating. The guard made his way over to him, club at the ready and Jaune crawled back.**

" **Hey – Svoloch!" shouted Reznov to the guard.**

 **The guard turned from Jaune, to Reznov, and began to beat the older man.**

"That must be against protocol," said Penny, "While I am sure a curse word is bad, it should not warrant a disciplinary measure of that degree."

"Newsflash. The guard doesn't care," growled Ilia, "He just sees a prisoner acting a way he doesn't like, and goes off on him. Even if it's reported, it's the word of a guard over a prisoner's. Who do you think they'll believe?"

"But… How would an unnecessary beating fix the problem?" asked Penny, stumped by Ilia's words.

"It instills fear," answered Blake, "If people are afraid of being hurt, then it makes them easier to control."

Penny tilted her head.

"That does not make sense. Such an act also has the potential to stir resentment among the prison population, and stoke the emotional conditions that lead to rioting," she said.

"That's… Actually, that's true," conceded Blake.

" **Alright… step one," said Jaune as he picked up a rock.**

 **Jaune scrambled to his feet, and ran toward the guard.**

 **Thunk!**

 **The stone collided with the guard's skull. The guard instinctively turned to face Jaune, and Jaune delivered another blow.**

 **Crack!**

 **The guard fell dead on the ground, and Jaune dropped the rock and offered a hand to the old Russian.**

" **Reznov…" said Jaune as he offered an arm to grab.**

"Guess the fight was just an act," said Qrow.

"That guard was a fool. Entering into an emotionally charged area like that with only a club and no backup," said Raven.

"And he fell for the oldest trick in the book," snorted Ilia.

" **Jaune…" he replied as he clapped his shoulder, "Every journey begins with a single step."**

 **Reznov got the guard's club, and the keys.**

" **This… is step one!" he said as he raised up the keys.**

" **Secure the keys!" shouted the prisoners.**

" **Now…" Revnov cried out as he waved the club like a sword, "Now… we take Vorkuta!"**

" **URA!" the prisoner's chorused.**

"Looks like Jaune's making a jailbreak!" cheered Nora.

All of Jaune's friends cheered as well, except Weiss who appeared thoughtful.

 **Jaune got out a shiv from his boot, and followed Reznov through the tunnels. There, they attacked other guards, and helped their fellow prisoners rise up. The tunnels were tight and cramped. Water dripped from the ceiling, and with the muddy grounds, the guards had trouble fighting back. The prisoners, who ate worked, and in some cases, slept in the tunnels had no such trouble. When Jaune came upon a guard beating a prisoner, he'd take his rough shiv and stab the man through the neck. Prisoners who weren't so well armed simply jumped the guards and beat them down.**

"Hmm… I wonder," said Weiss.

"About?" asked Pyrrha.

"These mines, I wonder if they're similar to my family's," said Weiss, which got Winter's attention and all the faunus' as well, "I've talked with Blake from time to time about conditions in my family's mines. I remember taking tours through some, but it was always a preplanned route through the facility. They never permitted me in certain areas."

"Same, when I was heiress," said Winter.

"The point is, seeing this universe, if this is what some people think of our mines, I should look into our facilities. If they are as bad as Blake and Amitola insist, I want to see them myself so I know what reforms will be needed," said Weiss.

"As if that will clean your family's hands free of the blood that faunus spill for the SDC," scoffed Ilia.

"Ilia…!" hissed Blake.

"No, it does not," said Weiss, calmly, "However, it will be a good step to mend fences, and perhaps lay a foundation for a better future."

"I think that's an admirable viewpoint," said Kali, who cut off Ilia.

Ilia frowned and looked away with a huff.

 **The mob got bigger and bigger, and then Jaune and everyone behind him ran into a monster of a man who had a dead guard in one hand, and struggling one in his arms.**

" **Allow me to introduce Sergei Kozin: the Monster of Magadan," chuckled Reznov.**

 **The man, Sergei, flexed, and the struggling guard's neck gave a sickening crunch that made Jaune wince.**

" **Glad you're a friend, Sergei," said Jaune as the man dropped the limp guard and joined up with them.**

"That's a lot of muscle," said Ghira.

"Your muscles are better dear," said Kali.

Ghira blushed a little when Kali ran a hand through his chest hair.

"K-Kali… Please, not in front of Blake," he whispered.

"MOM!" shouted their daughter.

 **As they went through the tunnels, fires began to erupt, and it was clear that, in their section at least, the prisoners gained the upper hand. The lift station of the mines had been broken into, and they were waiting for them to arrive before they went up.**

" **Step two?!" called out Reznov.**

" **Ascend from darkness!" cried the prisoners.**

 **Sergei got a nearby pickaxe before they all boarded, and when the lift doors closed, another Russian looked at Jaune suspiciously as soon as the lift moved.**

" **Reznov, you sure you can trust this American?" asked the prisoner.**

 **Reznov turned to Jaune.**

" **With my life," he said kindly, "He and us, are not so different… We are all soldiers, without an army. Betrayed. Forgotten. Abandoned. In Vorkuta, we are ALL brothers…"**

"Wait, so _all_ of them are soldiers?" asked Weiss.

"It appear that way," said Blake.

"That should make their uprising easier," said Ilia confidently.

"Wait… If they were all soldiers, why would they be imprisoned in their own country?" asked Kali.

"They might be dishonorable discharges," said Ironwood.

"That would make sense," said Coco, "But why did the old guy say 'betrayed, forgotten, and abandoned?"

"I… I'm not sure," said Ironwood.

"Perhaps we'll find out as we watch. That seems to be the case in a lot of these viewings," said Ozpin.

 **Many of the other prisoners agreed alongside Reznov, and after a moment, the suspicious prisoner gave Jaune a nod before he faced forward.**

 **When the lift stopped, it opened to show the back of a guard with a pistol. He was holding a mob back, but not for much longer. Sergei approached from behind, and swung his pickaxe. The guard was forced up and hung above Sergei from the force of the swing, and the man's wound began to spill a rain of blood.**

Everyone recoiled.

"Ruby… I don't feel so well," said Penny, a little queasy.

"Me either," said Ruby, who just watched the guard's blood pour out.

 **Jaune picked up the dead guard's pistol, and rushed to the iron doors of their facility. As Jaune saw the prisoner's try to push the door open, Jaune turned to Reznov.**

" **Reznov, your men must know this is suicide," said Jaune.**

" **Victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice, Jaune. We Russians know this better than anyone," said Reznov solemnly.**

 **Jaune recalled what he learned of the Eastern Front, and nodded grimly.**

 **The doors began to creak open.**

" **Prepare yourselves men!" cried Rezov.**

 **As soon as the doors open, machine gun fire tore into the prisoners and killed them.**

The audience winced at the sight.

"Did the old man know this was going to happen?" asked Nora, almost a little scared.

"He likely did," said Ironwood, "A jailbreak would require a lot of planning. They would need to have a detailed understanding of the facilities layout, especially the positions of the guard posts."

"Did… Did the prisoners know?" asked Ruby.

"…It's very likely," answered Ironwood.

"And they just ran into the gunfire?" asked Ilia.

"As much as I hate to say it, the old man does have a point. Rarely is there a victory without sacrifice," said Ironwood with a sigh.

Ilia gulped a little. She heard similar words from the Albain brothers back in Menagerie…

" _For the good of the faunus, sacrifices must be made…"_

The old man, Reznov, was so… placid about how his own people were going to die.

'Could I do that?' Ilia asked herself.

Could she knowingly lead people to their deaths, even if it was for the greater good?

 **The barrage continued a while longer and tore into the corpses as Jaune, Reznov, and Sergei took cover to the side. As soon as the gun fire ceased, they made their move.**

 **The three got to a nearby mine cart that was large enough to provide all three with cover. As Sergei and Reznov pushed the cart, the tower's machine gun fired down on their position, and the other prisoners behind them that followed.**

" **That tower's going to rip us apart!" cried a man.**

" **Have faith, comrade!" answered Reznov.**

 **Jaune followed Reznov and Sergei, and saw that more prisoners from their bunker began to follow their lead, and push more mine carts up the hill. Guards ran down to intercept, but Jaune and several other prisoners who had taken pistols off the guards covered the people pushing the carts further and further up.**

" **All across Vorkuta, our comrades will rise to the cause!" declared Reznov.**

 **That spurred the other prisoners on, and everyone began to push harder.**

"It appears they are attempting to get into a position to attack," said Ozpin.

"How are they going to take out the tower though? That machine gun will tear them apart before they get close," said Glynda.

"As if that will stop a desperate person," scoffed Raven, "Those in such a position will take any opportunity to be free, even at the cost of their lives."

"Oh, I'm sure you know a lot about desperate people," said Qrow, pointedly.

"If they win, they live. If they lose… Well, they don't have much to worry about," shrugged Raven apathetically.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Yang seriously.

"Just work-" said Raven, but was caught off by a chill in her spine.

Off to the side, she saw Tai shoot her a serious look, and for a _brief_ moment, Raven shuddered and was silent after that.

 **They eventually reached a docking station to lock the carts into position, and they took a quick breath.**

" **Step three?!" called Reznov.**

" **Rain fire!" shouted Jaune.**

" **See how Jaune's ingenuity turns junk into weapons!" said Reznov.**

 **Jaune saw some prisoners behind a docked mine cart grab a makeshift slingshot that he had designed from some of the materials in the mines. Two men held the ends of the sling, while a man in the middle got large jug with a burning towel, and put it into the sling's pocket. They pulled back the weapon, aimed and released. The jug collided with the gunner tower, and the whole thing went up in flames.**

"Whoa…" said Sun.

"Jaune came up with that?" asked Pyrrha, a little in awe.

"A gunner tower taken out by a slingshot. That's some ingenuity alright," said Tai.

"Sometimes the best weapons are the simplest. They aren't complicated to use, and they're less likely to quit on you," said Winter.

 **Jaune and the prisoners all cheered.**

" **I knew it would work!" cried out Jaune.**

" **URA!" cried out Reznov who joyfully clapped Jaune on the shoulder, "Never lose faith, my friends… Never!"**

 **Reznov, Sergei, and Jaune ran through the ruins of the tower toward their next objective.**

" **Months of planning, Jaune!" cackled Reznov, "We will not pause. We will not falter. We will be free, or die trying!"**

"YEAH!" cheered Ilia.

"Someone's excited," said Coco.

"No one deserves to be in those conditions. No one," said Ilia.

 **When they got to a security station, Reznoved ushered everyone to him.**

" **This way!" he said before he kicked in the door.**

 **Jaune followed him inside, and when they got to the station's armory, Reznov turned around.**

" **Sergei! Break open the arms lockers!" Reznov ordered, and turned to Jaune, "Arc, climb the tower and support the uprising in the south!"**

 **As Sergei began to ram into the doors, Jaune and Reznov went up the stairs, and saw an intercom system next to the second flight of stairs.**

" **What about you, Reznov?" asked Jaune.**

 **Reznov went to the intercom.**

" **For our plan to work, we need every man to play his part," said Reznov.**

" **Step four… unleash the horde," said Jaune.**

" **I will rally the men!" Reznov said.**

 **Jaune nodded and went up the stairs, and saw two prisoners with a sling, and several jugs. He joined them, and they got ready, as Jaune loaded up the slingshot.**

 **As Jaune began to take aim and fire, the intercom cut through the noise of all the fighting, and Reznov began to speak:**

 _ **Brave comrades of Vorkuta, the time has come to rise against our oppressors! Today, we show them the hearts of true Russians. We have all given our blood for the motherland. We have answered her calls without question. We gave our youth, our hearts, our very souls for her protection. As brothers, we fought side by side against the German fascists. We crawled through dirt and blood and sand to achieve our glorious victory… Not for medals, or glory… but for what was right.**_

 **Jaune let a firebomb loose, and a tower exploded.**

 _ **We fought for revenge… When Berlin fell, how did our leaders repay us? We returned not to the rapturous welcome… but to suspicion and persecution. In the eyes of our leaders, we were already tainted by the capitalist West. Torn from the arms of our loved ones, we found ourselves here… This place… This, this terrible place…**_

That shocked everyone watching the screen.

"They aren't dishonorable discharges. I was wrong," growled Ironwood, "…Betrayed, indeed."

"They were imprisoned… by their own leaders?" asked Ruby, horrified.

"Why would they do that?" asked Ilia, shocked, "If they fought against the enemy, why would they wind up in such a place."

"Fear," said Ghira, "From what I gather, these soldiers fought against a powerful and dangerous adversary to their people. Yet, if their leadership were willing to do this to their own soldiers, they aren't a good or gracious government themselves. They likely thought that if their own soldiers could topple one nation, they could topple their own regime."

Ghira turned to Archie.

"Am I correct?" he asked the archivist.

"Yes," Archie replied.

 **Another tower went up in smoke at Jaune's hands.**

 _ **Here we have languished, with no hope for release… No hope for justice. We have toiled in Dragovich's mines until the flesh peeled from our bones… We have watched our comrades succumb to sickness and disease… We have been starved. We have been beaten. But we will not be broken! Today, we will send a message to our corrupt and arrogant leaders. Today, my comrades, Vorkuta BURNS!**_

 **The last tower went up in flames, and Jaune and the two prisoners ran down the stairs and rendezvoused with Reznov.**

" **This way!" cried Reznov who was now armed with an AK-47, "Arm yourselves, comrades! Reinforcements will soon arrive to defend the main armory!"**

" **Just as we planned," said Jaune, who got a shotgun from the pile of guns.**

"To be able to plan such an operation while under heavy guard is quite impressive," said Winter.

"It is," agreed Ironwood, "Hmm… Winter, I just came up with an idea for the Specialist training program. A jailbreak; what do you think?"

"It… has potential," said Winter, intrigued.

" **How do we achieve step five?" asked a prisoner as they exited the building to a nearby gate.**

" **Arc's weapon will soon be ready," said Reznov as Jaune shot the padlock on the gate, "Follow me! We will burn this hellhole to the ground!"**

 **A guard attempted to ambush the group as they made their way through the gulag, but Jaune killed him first before the enemy could get a shot. Jaune gave his shotgun to another prisoner, and got the guard's assault rifle for himself. Jaune, and the other prisoners navigated their way through the prison camp and exchanged gunfire with the guards back and forth as they advanced steadily to their next objective.**

 **As they got past a particularly stubborn group of guards, they heard the sound of helicopter rotors and the wind picked up.**

" **The chopper is here! Good!" cheered Reznov.**

" **How is this good?" asked a prisoner, fearful.**

" **Because it is as we wish!" cackled Reznov.**

"Taking on an aircraft from the ground, without aura on top of that. That's practically suicide," said Velvet.

"They've been planning this for months. There's definitely a contingency for it," said Ren.

" **Step five…" said Jaune, "**

" **Skewer the winged beast!" called Reznov, "Quickly, Jaune.**

 **As the helicopter hovered and opened fire, Jaune and the prisoners fought to advance, and picked up ammo from their fallen foes as they did. They moved between cover to a building where Reznov handed Jaune a shotgun with a makeshift harpoon and line in the muzzle.**

" **Use the harpoon!" cried out Reznov.**

" **Let's hope this works," said Jaune.**

 **He aimed the shotgun high, and the machine gun turret turned to him. However, Jaune fired before the pilot could, and the harpoon sailed into the air and pierced the hull of the helicopter. There was a small explosion, and Jaune planted the shotgun between some railings. As the gunship tugged, the whiplash of the sudden maneuver sent it careening into a nearby building and exploded.**

"Hang on, did they have that on them the whole time, or was it just coincidentally there when the airship showed up?" asked Nora.

"Hmm… Well, isn't that an interesting question," said Ozpin

"Regardless, I think that's quite impressive," said Penny.

 **The prisoners cheered in victory, and Jaune advanced with them to carry out the next part of their plan.**

" **The armory! Hurry!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Everyone rushed to the next building, and fought its defenders room to room. It was some of the bloodiest fighting Jaune had ever witnessed. Guards who tried to surrender were bludgeoned by the stocks on the prisoner's rifles, and another had his eyes gouged out by a shiv. Jaune paid little mind to it though. After all the time he had spent in the gulag, he had little sympathy for his keepers' situation.**

"Wow, that scene's brutal," said Sun.

"It is. It almost reminds me of the story my father told in regards to Fort Castle," said Ghira.

"Grandpa was at Fort Castle?" asked Blake.

"He was a soldier during the battle in the revolution," said Ghira.

"Grandpa fought? You never mentioned that," said Blake.

"Your grandfather never talked about it. Not until he was on his deathbed, and he said he didn't want you to know either, at least until you were old enough," said Ghira.

"…So, what happened?" asked Blake.

Ghira looked conflicted for a moment, and took a breath.

"…When the humans were routed, momentum was on our side. The general that led the defense and pursued left a commander in charge of the POWs for processing later. However, this commander, who your grandfather served under, had no interest for such a task. He wanted to win honors in the battle, and to make humanity pay for their invasion of our home. The POWs… The commander gave an order that would haunt your grandfather till his death," said Ghira.

Blake, and her fellow students felt an empty pit in their stomach.

"The commander made up a story about how the POWs tried to make a break for it. Dad… he felt sick after he pulled the trigger He always talked about the eyes of the human who looked at his: the resigned, blank stare. He said he saw it in his dreams, and whenever he looked in the mirror. It haunted him for years."

"Did he… Did he get over it?" asked Ilia.

"No. He never did," said Ghira, who went quiet until Kali urged him on, "However, he learned to live with it when he joined the White Fang. He learned to take that sole act of horror, and channel it into something productive. He worked tirelessly for the day when humans and faunus would not have to see each other at hated enemies. His work after the war won our family the trust of Menagerie's leader and people, which gave our family the position as the chieftain of Kua Koana."

Blake was floored by the story, and wondered if that was the reason why her father had so adamantly stuck to peaceful cooperation and nonviolence. It would certainly explain his disapproval for Adam, and why he argued against Sienna's ascension to the leadership. The old White Fang was dedicated to building bridges and common understanding with humanity, and her grandfather, it seemed, worked tirelessly for that vision. If her grandfather could see what the organization turned into, he'd likely cry in despair.

They returned their attention to the screen, and saw that Archie had paused the viewing. Archie released the spell, and the universe continued to play out.

" **They're trying to lockdown the armory!" cried out a prisoner as Jaune got onto the second floor.**

" **Stop them! Keep firing! Fight!" shouted Reznov.**

 **They battled through the hallway, when suddenly, red lights flashed.**

" **They are trying to seal the door!" cried Reznov.**

 **Jaune picked up the pace, and when he rounded a corner, he saw a heavy door slide down. Just then, Sergei charged from another room, and between the door and floor and attempted to hold it up. Jaune slid underneath, but before he could get up, he heard gunfire. Sergei immediately collapsed, and the door landed on his chest, as did a rain of bullets. Jaune quickly shot down the attacker, and made his way to what appeared to be the control room.**

" **NOOO!" cried Reznov from behind the door, "Arc! Open the door!"**

 **Jaune pushed the button and the door opened, but it was too late. The other prisoners who saw their comrade's dead body let out a blood curdling cry, and charged the guards with clubs and gunfire. Their vengeance was bloody and swift, and they secured the room. Once Sergei's body was set aside, Jaune closed the door to seal up the room as the prisoner assumed defensive positions.**

" **Upstairs, let's go!" called Reznov.**

 **Jaune followed, and they heard helicopters.**

" **The roof! I hear them on the roof!" cried a prisoner.**

" **They too will be lambs to the slaughter!" declared Reznov, as Jaune followed the man up the stairs.**

" **Reznov, they've sealed the vault!" said another prisoner in front of a giant safe in the wall.**

" **It matters little," shrugged off the older man.**

" **Step six," said Jaune.**

" **Wield a fist of iron," called Reznov.**

 **The enemy rappelled from the helicopters and into the building through the glass roof, but they were quickly killed by Jaune and the defenders as Reznov made his way to a nearby locker in a garage. As Reznov attempted to open it, they could hear the noises of truck engines and doors, and large number of boots hit the ground.**

" **More reinforcements! We have little time!" said Reznov as he opened the locker, "There! The blowtorch will suit our needs."**

 **Reznov hefted a gas tank with a rubber tube that fed to the torch itself onto his back, and moved briskly in the direction he came from.**

"Guess, you were right about mining building muscles. He's pretty strong for an old guy," said Nora.

"Told you," said Ilia.

 **As soon as Reznov moved to get to the vault, the garage door was breached. Guards in body armor and shotguns moved in, and the prisoners fought back.**

"That's a lot of guards," said Velvet.

"It's the main armory," said Winter, "There is bound to be more powerful weapons than one they have on them at the moment."

" **Keep me covered! Clear a path, for me Jaune!" said Reznov.**

 **Jaune and Reznov made for the vault, as the bulk of the prisoners moved to defend the breach. When they got there, Reznov got to work, and Jaune helped the prisoners fend off the assault. Burning a hole through the vault was long work though, and as time went on, the gunfire dwindled as the defenders fell to the gulag's guards. Then, another helicopter went overhead and opened fire on the building.**

" **Fall back! Fall back!" cried one of the prisoners.**

" **How much longer?" asked Jaune, who fired on the windshield of the helicopter.**

" **Almost there!" said Reznov over the noise, "Yes!"**

 **Jaune immediately moved to Reznov's side, and the two forced the door open, and saw his prize.**

" **Arc, grab the mini-gun!" said Reznov.**

"Oh yeah! Best weapon ever," cheered Coco.

"Are you going to say that every time there's a mini gun involved?" asked Velvet.

"Duh… I bet anyone of these guys would do the same if their own weapon was on screen," said Coco.

"You betcha!" cheered Ruby.

"You know it," said Sun.

"Hell yeah!" said Tai and Qrow.

Raven gave an affirmative huff.

 **Jaune went into the vault, and saw the weapon in question. If there was one good thing about having to have been in a gulag, it was building the muscle needed to lift the heavy weapon. Jaune marched out, saw a mass of guards head their way, and pulled the trigger. Once the rotors got going, heavy rounds tore through the attackers at high speed.**

 **Jaune moved through the rest of the building to fire on the enemy, and stopped only when allies were downrange or the enemies were not in the direction of his gun. When out in the open, Jaune fired on enemy positions in the buildings, and on approaching trucks with more reinforcements. The prisoners followed him and gave him cover fire.**

" **Step Seven, comrades!" shouted Reznov.**

" **Raise HELL!" Jaune and the prisoners called.**

" **For honor! For vengeance! FOR RUSSIA!" cried Reznov, and they all charged.**

 **Jaune led the charge to the gates, and the armed prisoners fired upon any resistance they could find. The mini-gun had tipped the balance in their favor, and they shot down any that stood in their way.**

"Looks like they're going to be free!" cheered Pyrrha.

Everyone was excited to see that, especially Ilia.

 **Victory was within sight when suddenly canisters with trails of smoke landed in their ranks.**

" **They are using tear gas! Arc!" cried out Reznov.**

Ilia felt her heart drop, and if the sudden silence in the audience was anything to go by, so did theirs.

"So close…" said Pyrrha.

"Yeah… So close," said Ilia.

 **The last thing Jaune saw were his fellow inmates collapsing, and Reznov hoisting him up onto his shoulder.**

…

 **Back in the interrogation room, Jaune winced at the memory.**

" **They used tear gas. I couldn't breathe," said Jaune.**

" _ **Was Reznov still with you?"**_ **asked the distorted voice of the interrogator.**

" **He never left me," said Jaune.**

…

 **Jaune came to at the sound of a train, and gunfire. He saw Reznov look at him with a relieved expression before it turned serious. Outside they could hear gunshots and screams.**

"Sounds like the jailbreak is being dispersed," said Blake.

"Guess it was all a longshot…" sighed Ilia.

"Not for those two though," said Ghira in an encouraging manner.

" **The door will not hold them forever… We do not have much time…" said Reznov as he got up and moved to a tarp-covered object, "Within this shrine to the hypocritical decadence of Vorkuta's leaders, lays the key to step eight."**

 **Jaune saw Reznov remove the tarp and saw a beautifully built motorcycle.**

"Oh baby, that's a beauty right there," said Yang with a drool, "All it needs is yellow and black paint, and it'll be perfect."

"You already have a motorbike," warned Tai.

"But that's an old school bike…" Yang argued with longing eyes.

" **Freedom," said Jaune weakly before forced himself up, and walked to another motorcycle of equal beauty and quality, 'So much for communism,' he thought.**

 **He mounted the vehicle, kick started it.**

 **FFFF-LLLDDDddddu… FFFF-LLLDDDddddu…**

"Oh… it even sounds awesome," sighed Yang.

"Save your money," said Tai flatly.

 **Jaune hit the gas and accelerated. Both he and Reznov rode up a ramp and crashed through a window that led out of the prison's perimeter. The guards tried to gun them down, but they were too fast and nimble to get a shot at.**

" **Come on, Jaune! Faster! Faster!" cried Rezonv.**

 **As they crossed a bridge, they saw a train move by.**

" **There is the train! Hurry, Jaune!" cried out Reznov.**

 **Jaune heard a noise behind, and he saw more motorcycles, this time ridden by the gulag's guards.**

" **We've got company!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Jaune pulled out the pistol from before and fired to fend them off, while looking back and forth between Reznov and the train, and their pursuers. A helicopter flew overhead, and opened fire.**

"Come on, guys! You can do it!" cheered Sun.

"Just a little longer!" said Ilia.

" **This way!" shouted Reznov, and Jaune followed in serpentine fashion to avoid getting hit, "MG!"**

 **There was a truck with a machine gun that came along from the side.**

" **Jump on the truck!" called Reznov.**

 **The gunner swiveled to face them, but Jaune revved the bike and closed that gap. He shot the gunner, and then the driver was pulled out by Reznov, who had leapt onto the vehicle and forced the door open.**

"The bikes…!" cried Yang, who saw the beautiful motorcycles veer and tumble roughly to the sides of the road.

"Plenty of other fish in the sea, kid," consoled Qrow.

 **With Reznov at the wheel, Jaune mounted the gun, and fired on the pursuers. Trucks, motocycles, even a helicopter, all fell to the machine gun that Jaune manned.**

" **There!" shouted Reznov.**

 **Jaune saw the train, and Reznov drove the truck closer to it.**

" **Jump, Jaune! Jump!" said Reznov.**

"Jump!" shouted Ilia.

 **Jaune took a breath, and leapt. He grabbed onto the ladder of a car.**

Ilia, and Jaune's friends gasped.

 **Jaune almost slipped, but he was able to hang on. When he got his footing, he turned to the truck.**

" **Your turn! Come on!" Jaune shouted with an outstretched hand, "Step eight, Reznov – Freedom!"**

" **For you Jaune…! Not for me…!" replied Reznov.**

Ilia's breath caught in her throat.

 **Jaune almost let go of the ladder in shock.**

" **REZNOV!" Jaune called out.**

 **As the truck was forced to the side of the road, by their pursuers, the train kept moving, until the truck his friend was in was nothing but a dot in the horizon.**

…

The lights went up, and Ilia was the first to speak.

"That ending…" said Ilia.

"…He sacrificed himself, so Jaune can be free?" asked Pyrrha.

"It's just a guess…" began Ghira, "But the way that Reznov fellow saw it, he's old, with little time left in his life. Jaune is still young with a future ahead. In that moment, he gave himself up, so that Mr. Arc could enjoy those years in earnest. At least, that's how I see it."

As Jaune's friends began to tear up, Ilia thought silently to herself.

When she joined the White Fang, she had wanted to take part in the operations that freed faunus from SDC mines, but was denied because of how personally she took the SDC labor conditions. Instead, given her traits and her appearance, she was put on espionage, and the occasional kidnapping mission. Seeing this universe, Ilia saw just how much planning went into an operation like a jailbreak, how much could go wrong, and how calm one had to be in the face of death during the struggle to be free.

'Could I do that?' Ilia asked herself once again.

 **A/N: When I was planning to get Black Ops 3, I saw the cutscene movies for COD Black Ops 1 & 2 before I bought it. I always liked the Vorkuta scene. It was a nice tie in from the old COD WW2 games, back when I first started to play COD.**

 **A shame Black Ops 3 didn't do it for me. Oh well.**

 **So far this is the only reaction that has absolutely no other RWBY character in it. The reason for that is because I have an idea for a Skyrim chapter, and I wanted to gauge people's reaction.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **I did not have the heart to change Reznov into a RWBY character. Other than the fact that this takes place in our universe, none of the RWBY characters are Russian. Before anyone asks, no, the disguise Ruby used in RWBY Chibi to try to fool Oobleck asks does not count.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: The Wolf of Mibu**


	18. Rurouni Kenshin: A D'Arc Knight

**So here we are… Rurouni Kenshin, and like the Three Kingdoms chapter, it's the road less taken.**

 **Someone asked if I would ever make a "bad guy" chapter for this story of mine. The answer is yes, just not now, not until I find one, anyway. This chapter has Jaune as one of my favorite anti-heroes in anime, and I hope you all like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Rurouni Kenshin**_ **is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki.**

 **Chapter 18 – A D'Arc Knight**

"So, what's next?" asked Yang.

Archie pulled out another volume, and tensed a little.

"Something wrong?" asked Ren.

"Ooh! Is it another potential future?" asked Nora.

Ozpin, Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood tensed.

"No, just… Let's just say Jaune has a very complicated outlook in this one," said Archie as he slipped the volume inside the VHS.

The screen went dark as a scene began to play…

…

 **Several people ran through the streets, and they were pursued by several hunters in** **purple mantles draped over armor.**

" **Catch the rebels!" one of the armored pursuers declared.**

"Rebels?" asked Ozpin.

"Those aren't police officers. They're soldiers," said Ghira.

"No," said Winter, who looked at the variety of weapons, "With the exception of the armor, there's no uniformity in regards to the weapons. I believe they're huntsmen."

 **As their hunters closed in, one of the rebels turned to face his pursuers.**

" **Henry!" said one of the runners.**

" **GO! I'll hold them off!"**

 **The man, Henry, drew out a sword and a fire-dust revolver, while the others cut through an alley after a moment's hesitation. The man fired a few times, but one of the pursuers activated his semblance. A slab of earth and cobbled stone was kicked up to absorb the gunfire and the huntsman hurtled it toward him. The slab of earth knocked the rebel back, and while he tried to get up, six more of the pursuers drew their weapons and closed in. They overwhelmed the man's aura with their simultaneous attacks, and he lay dead at the entrance to the alleyway.**

Blake and Ilia growled, their rebellious sides stoked by the sight.

"No fair! They ganged up on him!" shouted Ruby.

"There is no fair," snorted Raven, "In a fight like that, there's only victory or death."

Ruby growled, but Weiss and Penny calmed her down.

" **Track the rest down!" said the leader of the pursuers.**

" **Yes, sir!" they answered.**

 **They went through the alley, and when they got to the other side, they stopped and went still in fright. The leader caught up with an irritated look on his face.**

" **What's the hold…up?" he stopped when he saw what his subordinates saw.**

 **A figure with short black hair with red highlight tips, and a scythe in a casual stance stood alone before them. He had a cross-shaped car on his cheek, and was in a black long-sleeve tunic with red collar strings, black breeches, and black boots with a red-riding cape.**

"It's guy-me; um, Rufus!" said Ruby, "Wow, my hair's down this time."

"Rufus?" asked Tai.

"There was one universe where our genders were swapped. Well, Teams RWBY and JNPR, at least. It was pretty fun," said Yang.

"Was your name different too?" asked Tai.

"Everyone had different names, except for Blake, and I," said Yang.

"Oh… So, did I name you…?"

"No!" warned Yang.

"…Xiao Yang Xiao Long?" teased Tai.

"UGH!" groaned Raven and Yang…

The two women stared at each other. Did they just see something eye-to-eye?

They shared an awkward stare, and returned to watching.

" **If you're looking for my comrades, you just missed them," said the man.**

" **T-That's…" began one of them, a girl.**

" **That's the Red Reaper!" finished one of the men.**

"Red Reaper? Wow, that's such a cool name!" said Ruby.

"A scary one too, if those hunters look like they're going to crap themselves," said Coco.

" **Turn back now," said the Reaper, "If you do, I will let you live."**

 **The group looked as the man they feared drew his weapon. It was a shaft with a tucked in blade, but the moment he squeezed a mechanism, the blade unhinged to reveal a scythe.**

"Wow, that' a low-tech Crescent Rose right there," said Yang.

"Wait, it has no gun?" asked Ruby.

Coco lowered her shades and got a look at the clothes they were all wearing.

"Judging by the attire… I'd ballpark this at around 10-15 years after the Great War," said Coco.

"That means mechashift weapons were still in their infancy.

"My baby's only half of what it could be!" gasped Ruby.

 **The team in purple mantles looked amongst themselves, but one of them stepped forward and drew his sword.**

" **You bastard!" shouted a man with, "You think I'll turn my back, after what you did to Vale's Royal Family!"**

"Wait, what?" asked Blake in surprise.

"So the royal family is in this one as well?" asked Glynda.

"What did my counterpart do to the royal family?" asked Ruby, who got worried.

"The man's words imply you attacked them," said Weiss.

Ruby went pale.

 **Rufus said nothing.**

" **For the king!" shouted the man who charged and swung.**

" **Wait!" said the team leader.**

 **The sword cut into rose petals, and the man blinked when he saw a scythe blade move to his neck-**

 **SCHLCK…**

 **The others watched in horror as their friend's head was lopped off by the scythe of the Red Reaper, who pulled it like a shepherd's crook.**

Ruby covered her mouth in shock, as did her team, and Jaune's teammates. Tai and Qrow felt a cold sweat on their bodies.

" **Tartan!" shouted a women, who charged with a spear.**

 **Everyone else charged with their own weapons drawn.**

" **Wait! We need to attack as a group!" shouted the team leader, "…Damnit!"**

 **He charged in after his unit.**

 **The man's massive scythe swung through the air, and cleaved straight through one of the warrior's armor as though it was paper. The Reaper used the momentum, and let the weapon twirl along his body, and come around to stab and sink into the side of another huntsman, who dropped his hand axe as he died.**

" **Yargh!" shouted the girl with the spear.**

" **Die!" shouted another man with a mace and shield.**

 **Rufus twirled and positioned his scythe right between the two weapons. He caught the spear of the woman with his scythe blade, and slammed it on the ground and let the weight hold it down. Another attacker came at him with a mace and shield, and Rufus applied pressure to the spear shaft with weapon. He stepped toward the woman and kicked her away, then swung the scythe. The man blocked the blow with his shield, but was obscured from seeing Rufus' actions and tensed as he scythe pierced his shield deep. As the momentum of Rufus' weapon made him turn, Rufus quickly bent over as he spun to grab the broken spear head.**

 **Rufus yanked the shield hard, and brought the hunters sole form of protection down just enough for him to throw the spearhead at the hunter's forehead.**

 **The girl froze when she saw her own weapon used to kill her friend, and comrade.**

" **Get up!" shouted the team leader who swung his longsword at Rufus.**

 **The girl blinked, and got the spear shaft of her broken weapon.**

 **Rufus blocked the longsword with the lower end of his scythe's haft, back stepped, and twirled his scythe against the ground to dislodge the shield of the downed hunter from his weapon. Rufus' weapon rose into the air in an inverse position, and he allowed to ride the momentum and fall. Crescent Rose fell onto the man, who was able to block the strike, but any hope was short lived as Rufus loosened his grip of his weapon to let the blade swing down so the scythe was poised to hook into team leader's back.**

 **Rufus pulled, and the girl, who was about to charge to aid her team leader, saw blood spill onto the streets.**

Ruby wanted to cry at the sight of Rufus killing people not just quickly, but without a second thought.

"Oh my god…" shuddered Weiss as she saw the death her partner's counterpart dealt to his enemies.

"Shouldn't his aura have protected him? As impressive as Crescent Rose is, even the weakest aura levels would do something to protect them," asked Pyrrha.

"True, aura is a powerful defense, but it isn't something a huntsman should totally rely upon," began Ozpin, "No matter how strong a suit of armor, it will crack and break when subjected to enough force. Given the weight and speed Mister Rose's weapon has travelled in this fight along with the intent to kill, it is little surprise death comes quickly."

"Red Reaper… A fitting title," acknowledged Raven.

"… **No," the girl, the last of the pursuit team, whimpered.**

 **The Reaper turned to her, and she froze.**

" **It didn't have to be this way," he said, almost sadly.**

 **Something in the girl snapped.**

" **You bastard…" she readied the shaft.**

" **Last chance…" said the man with silver eyes.**

 **She charged, her broken weapon in her hands, and Rufus swung.**

"No, DON'T!" cried out Ruby, "Her weapon's broken!"

"She's desperate, and still willing to fight. He would be a fool to turn his back on her," said Raven.

"It's not right!" shouted Ruby, who turned back to the screen, "Knock her out, just please… no more."

 **Before the two could attack, a spear with a bronze and steel head stabbed into the ground between them.**

" **Come now, Reaper. Even you can't be that heartless!"**

 **The Reaper and the girl turned to face two people that approach them.**

 **One was a woman with beautiful, flowing red hair with emerald eyes. She wore a red tunic shirt, and black breeches, and held a bronze dipylon shield. The other figure was a tall blonde with long hair in a low ponytail and blue eyes. He wore blue breeches, black boots, and a black long-sleeve tunic with a sword at his hip. Both wore purple mantles, and the same armor as the other fallen hunters before them.**

" **Captain Nikos, Captain Arc… I…"**

"Captain…?' So, they're part of this group that Guy-Ruby is fighting?" asked Nora.

"That's what you meant by 'complicated outlook?" asked Ren.

"Yes…" said Archie, "Were you thinking about it this whole time?"

"Ren's great at thinking!" said Nora, who then sighed, "It's all he does most of the time."

 **Pyrrha smiled kindly as she approached the last of the pursuit team.**

" **Go back to the others, soldier. We'll take care of this," said Pyrrha with a reassuring smile.**

" **I can help! I must avenge my friends!" argued the girl.**

" **Admirable…" said Jaune, "But the orders stand."**

" **But I-"**

 **Jaune's stare turned hard as diamonds, and the girl shuddered.**

" **Go," he said, and he pushed the blade of his sword out slightly with his thumb, "Or do you wish to remain insubordinate?"**

"He wouldn't…! Would he?" asked Pyrrha, worried.

"He gave an order," said Ironwood.

"She's scared," pointed out Kali.

"Scared and emotionally volatile," corrected Ironwood, "She's not thinking straight and in a combat situation that can get her killed, or endanger other soldiers, if it's not reigned in."

 **The girl gulped, and though she wanted to stay and help somehow, she bowed in compliance.**

" **Forgive me… I was too weak," she said sadly.**

" **You weren't weak," reassured Pyrrha, "The Red Reaper is just too much for anyone other than a captain to fight. Now go."**

 **The girl nodded and hobbled away.**

" **That wasn't very nice, Jaune. She was scared enough as it is," Pyrrha reprimanded lightly.**

"Told you," pointed out Kali.

"Kali, how old are you?" sighed Ghira.

Kali stuck her tongue out, and Blake and Ghira sighed.

" **Apologies," said Jaune bashfully, "However, I'd rather she be alive and feel scared, as opposed to dead. I have a feeling we'll need her determination in the coming battles."**

"… **I suppose you have a point," Pyrrha said as she extended her hand.**

 **Pyrrha used her semblance and pulled the spear back to her, and the two faced their foe with more serious expressions. Pyrrha made to move, but before she could step forward, Jaune raised a hand to block her advance.**

" **Captain Nikos, please step back," said the blonde.**

" **Come now, Jaune," smiled Pyrrha confidently as she readied her spear and shield, "I can't back away from this insult to my men. I'm still captain for the 1** **st** **Sentinel Unit."**

" **But hasn't your illness returned?" asked Jaune casually.**

 **Pyrrha gasped a little, and looked to Jaune in shock.**

"Illness?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yes," said Archie, "In this universe, you have tuberculosis. It comes and goes, sometimes when you fight."

"Talk about a handicap," said Pyrrha as she gulped.

" **Heh-heh," chuckled Jaune, "You can't hide your illness from a semblance like mine. Conserve yourself, and allow me to take a crack."**

 **Jaune took a step forward, and drew his sword out.**

" **I, Jaune Arc, Captain of the 3** **rd** **Sentinel Unit, will kill the Red Reaper," declared Jaune.**

Ruby shivered at hearing those words.

'Jaune would never hurt me…' she reminded herself, ' _Our_ Jaune would never hurt me."

 **Jaune stood a fair distance from the young man with the scythe, and with both hands on his sword, assumed a Key guard stance, with a slight variation: the flat of the blade was parallel to the ground instead of perpendicular.**

"He's not using his shield?" asked Pyrrha.

"Mechashifts are in their infancy at this time," reminded Glynda.

"For complex multi-weapon transformations, perhaps," said Ozpin, "Mr. Arc's weapon is from this general time frame though. Although, perhaps his fighting style in this universe is different. He's used other weapons in the previous viewings after all."

Pyrrha nodded.

 **The Reaper took a stance, and Jaune smiled.**

" **...Ready?" asked Jaune.**

 **The two stared one another down…**

"…"

"…"

 **The lunged at one another, a sweeping crescent of steel met a thrust of blinding white light-**

" _ **RUFUS!"**_

 **Rufus' eyes shot open, and he saw Penny and a young boy with freckled tan skin, messy brown hair, and green eyes in their fencing uniforms.**

"Wait was that all a dream?" asked Ruby.

"More like a memory, technically," said Sun.

"Who's that kid?" asked Yang.

" **Penny? Oscar?" he asked, and he looked over their shoulders.**

 **The training hall they visited was empty.**

" **Oh, sorry. How long ago did your practice session end?" asked Rufus as he got onto his feet.**

" **About ten minutes ago," answered Oscar as the three made their way to the exit.**

" **I let you sleep longer because someone asked me a question. Is something the matter?" asked Penny.**

" **Yeah," said Rufus, "Just… dreamt of the past, that's all. I'll let you know all about it when we leave the building."**

" **Okay," said Penny.**

"Hmm…" Ozpin noised thoughtfully.

"Are you alright, sir?" asked Glynda.

"Yes, just… There's something about that young man…" replied Ozpin.

"What? A potential student?" joked Qrow.

"Doubtful…" chuckled Ozpin, "This is another universe. He may not even exist in our world."

However in his mind, he couldn't shake the feeling that the freckled boy seemed important somehow.

 **The moment they left the building, they walked down the road toward home. It wasn't until five minutes after leaving the building that Rufus began to talk.**

" **So earlier," he began, which got the attention of Penny and Oscar, "I dreamt of the Remnant Revolution, and one of my battles against the Royalist Forces. Specifically, members of the Sentinels. I haven't had such dreams in years."**

"Oh, that makes sense!" said Penny, "Those hunters Ruby's male counter killed did say 'For the King.' It appears you were a rebel, Ruby."

"And Jaune was a royalist," added Ren, "You were enemies."

"Seriously? It like that in the last gender-swapped universe, too. We're best friends, dang it!" cried out Ruby.

"Well, in that universe, you were more like 'rivals,' but that's splitting hairs," corrected Nora.

"Not helping!" grumbled Ruby.

" **When you say, 'Sentinels,' do you mean the Mistral Companions and Vale Royal Knights?" asked Oscar.**

" **Yes, and no. The Sentinels were a task force that cherry picked the best of both divisions," said Rufus, "You see, when Vacuo and Atlas-Mantle Empire collapsed due to democratic and republican movements, Vale and Mistral entered into an alliance and worked to tamp down on any political dissenters. Of course, what the monarchs learned was that even though the movements all had the same goal, the revolutionary thinkers that were at odds with each other to the point that there were violent feuds. This escalated to blood in the streets, and while the kings were content to let them destroy each other, the feuds got so bad that public outcry forced the kingdoms to send their royal hunter corps to assist the police in maintaining order. The Companions of Mistral, and the Vale Royal Knights were tightly knit in their efforts, which led to the special task force, The Sentinels, being created when the revolution picked up steam in Vale and Mistral. I crossed blades with them many times since they were the nemesis of the revolutionary forces."**

"Fascinating," said Ironwood.

"Bartholomew would be over the moon if he heard this alternate take on Remnant's history," chuckled Ozpin.

"I can already imagine the notebook in his pocket being filled to the brim with information and theories," said Glynda with a wry smile.

" **They said that the Sentinels ganged up on individual fighters and revolutionary leaders. Isn't that a bit cowardly?" asked Penny.**

" **Their mission wasn't to duel. It was to keep order, and uphold the crown by any means necessary," explained Rufus.**

"That explains their ganging up on that Henry fellow," said Tai.

" **Not all of them were strong or honorable, it's true," Rufus suddenly turned thoughtful, "But their officers, especially the leaders of the 1** **st** **, 2** **nd** **, and 3** **rd** **of the ten units… They were incredible hunters. I dueled them many times, with no clear victor being decided."**

" **They were that strong?" asked Penny.**

" **Yes…" said Rufus, who turned melancholy, "Rumor has it they're all dead now. Thinking about that, it's a loss."**

" **You sound sad. Weren't they your enemy?" asked Oscar.**

" **Hmm… Sort of," said Rufus, "While I sympathized with the revolutionary cause, I never got involved in the politics. To me, we, royalist or revolutionary, were all warriors fighting for what we believed in. As time went on, I actually began to feel closer to them than to my former comrades who now hold office in today's government."**

"Amazing how one's perspective, and views change as time goes on," said Glynda.

"I can empathize with preferring the company of other warriors," said Winter, "No offense general, but I have no idea how you can interact with Atlas high-society."

"What makes you think I can?" grumbled Ironwood, "It takes all my strength not to strangle someone at a dinner party. Also, you're one to talk, Ms. _Schnee_."

"Why do you think I joined the military," said Winter.

" **Wow…" said Penny.**

 **Rufus looked to her.**

" **You think it odd?" he asked.**

" **No, it's not that. It's just, I'm not used to you talking about your past this much," said Penny, which caught Rufus by surprise, "Given what you went through, and what you did… I'm sorry. We can stop talking now, if you want."**

"It seems like all your counterpart's actions still weigh heavily in his heart. That's good," said Ghira.

"How is that good?" asked Ruby, confused.

"War is a traumatic experience for anyone, especially for someone as young as your counterpart appeared. If he didn't feel something, even anger, it could be a sign to worry for some people. If he can still feel, than he can still interact with others and even work positively for the future in some way," explained Ghira.

That made Ruby feel a little better.

" **Sorry," apologized Rufus bashfully.**

" **No, it's fine. I'm the one who brought it up," said Penny, "Come on, let's go home."**

 **Rufus nodded, but felt a little uneasy.**

" **It's been ages since I dreamed of those days. Why now?" he muttered to himself.**

 **Meanwhile, the scene of the streets of Vale changed to a large manor with the name "Polendina Preparatory School for Hunters" nailed onto the post of a large wooden gate with a door knocker.**

"Whoa, you have your own training school and everything!" asked Ruby.

"Your family must be something in this universe," said Velvet.

"Father does a lot of work for the Atlas Government, and has quite a number of research projects funded by the private sector as well," chirped Penny proudly, "I guess in this universe, he helps to teach huntsmen."

"A waste of time, and money," mumbled Raven.

 **A monkey faunus was sitting on the porch at the end of the stone walkway.**

"Cool, I'm in this one!" said Sun.

" **Aw man! Where are they?" Sun groaned, "I was hoping to catch a free meal, but everyone's out."**

"…Really? I'm not a freeloader here, am I?" asked Sun.

"At least you're not a gold-digger," threw in Coco.

"I could totally get my own food!" added Sun.

"You mean steal it?" asked Blake with a deadpan stare.

"At least I'm self-reliant," said Sun.

"Point missed," said Blake as she sighed, and her father frowned more deeply.

 **THACK-THACK!**

 **Sun got up at the sound of the knocker, and went over to the gate to see who it was. When he opened it, he was greeted by a blonde in a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a pair of suit pants. He had deep blue eyes, messy blonde hair, and the brightest smile imaginable with a box in his hands.**

"Jaune?!" yelped Ruby, Pyrrha, and the rest of their teammates.

" **Greetings, sir!" he announced with cheer before he held up the box in presentation, "I am Charles Pucelle, and I'm here today to introduce you to the only medicinal salve you'll ever need!"**

" **Um… What?" asked Sun.**

"…Yeah, what?" asked Nora.

"And what's with the name?" asked Ilia.

"This is very different from the man we saw earlier," said Glynda.

"The revolution won, remember? I guess without the kings, he's got to make a living somehow. And if these Sentinels were as notorious to the revolutionaries, as Rufus said, he'd likely have to change his name too," said Tai.

"That's… Really sad, actually," Blake.

"That's life. To the victor go the spoils," scoffed Raven.

" **Why none other than the one and only Gele cream, made by none other than Jacques Gele," said Jaune as he presented a jar of salve.**

Winter and Weiss sputtered at information.

"Father… makes medicine?" gasped Weiss.

Ironwood burst out into laughter.

"Oh-hoh! Haha! Oh, if Jacques saw this – I can imagine the face he'd make!"

Winter snorted, and Weiss tried to hide the growing smile at the thought.

" **Ugh… What's that smell?" recoiled Sun.**

" **Now sir, I know the medicine has a distinct aroma, but I'll have you know that this cream can alleviate pain from bruises or muscle aches. Also when applied beneath the nose, it can clear the sinuses," said Jaune as he closed the jar.**

" **Look pal, it all sounds great, but I don't actually live here," said Sun, who waved off the remaining stench of the medicine.**

 **The other blonde paused, and donned a thoughtful look.**

" **Oh… I see. How unfortunate," said the salesman with a sigh.**

 **Sun looked at him.**

" **You know… For a guy who sells medicine, you're pretty scraggily. You eating alright?" asked Sun.**

 **Pucelle chuckled.**

" **I get that a lot," he said, "But to answer your question, yes I do. I have to maintain my strength after all."**

 **Suddenly, Sun grabbed the other blonde's wrists, and twisted to reveal the salesman's palm. There were fresh callouses on them that Sun instantly recognized from weapon's training.**

" **I bet all that strength is so you can fight with a weapon effectively!" Sun accused, "Who are you?"**

 **The salesman stared blankly at Sun, before he closed his eyes and smiled. When he opened them again, Sun felt a chill down his spine. The once exuberant eyes were now cold, and calm.**

 **Too calm.**

" **You're quite observant, Sun Wukong," he said casually.**

"Uh-oh…" gasped Velvet.

Almost everyone shuddered. The adults were on guard, except for Raven, who looked intrigued.

 **Sun let go of the other blonde's wrist, and leapt back to take a stance.**

" **How do you know my name?" Sun demanded.**

"…" **he didn't answer, but instead pulled something from his pocket, "So… The Red Reaper isn't here. I guess I'll just have to leave him a little present."**

 **The object that that he pulled was a handle, and with a click of a button, a long blade sprang from it with a cross guard that unfolded at the base of the blade.**

" **So you came to this place looking to fight my friends? Fine with me," Sun crowed as he brought his fists together, "I'll find out who you are, with my fists!"**

 **Sun lunged at the assailant, and delivered a powerful hook to his target's face. The scraggily man flew back a fair distance away, and landed roughly and rolled for a bit as he skidded to a halt. Sun was about follow up, when the guy just got up, and dusted himself with his free hand.**

"What?" asked Sun, "That punch looked harder than my usual one!"

"I unlocked Jaune's aura. He has a lot of it," said Pyrrha.

" **Not bad," said Pucelle casually, "Your punch lives up to its reputation, but only in this era of peace we live in."**

" **No effect?" gasped Sun.**

 **Pucelle got into a Key stance, with the flat of his blade parallel to the ground.**

" **Back in Mistral, at the height of the Remnant Revolution, though," Pucelle continued, "A punch like that, would be nothing!"**

 **The man took three steps, lunged at Sun, and twisted his torso as he let go one hand to deliver a one handed thrust.**

" **He's fast-"**

 **SCHLCK!**

 **Sun's eyes widened, and he felt a rush of cold, wet, pain in his right shoulder. The world seemed to slowly pull away from him, but all he could see were the cold blue eyes of the man in front of him. Then, his back made contact with something hard-**

 **CRASH!**

 **The two were covered in dust and debris from the wall, and Sun coughed out blood.**

 **SNAP…**

 **The blade broke from the sheer power of the attack, and as Sun flew off to the side of the school's training hall, the assailant landed on his feet and scuffed the wooden floor as friction from his shoes were dragged roughly across the room in a different direction.**

"Well now, this has gotten a lot more interesting," smiled Raven.

"Turning a defensive sword stance into a means of attack… I must say, that's rather ingenious," said Ozpin, "No offense, Mr. Wukong."

Sun ignored him.

"Come on, other me! Get up!" urged Sun.

 **Pucelle looked at his broken blade, and tossed it to the side.**

" **Atlas quality at its finest," he scoffed, "Mechashift weapons are great for stealth missions, but horrible when it comes to durability. There's still no match for an old-fashioned weapon."**

"Excuse me?" growled Weiss, "Atlas has the finest quality weapons in the world!"

"Perhaps by today's standards. But in the times of kings, Vale produced the finest weapons in the world. The Vale Royal Knights, by order of the king, used only weapons forged from Castle Steel. Only a handful of people can work with the material today, let alone recreate it," corrected Ozpin.

"Ooh, I didn't know that!" said Nora.

 **He paused and looked in the direction of Sun. The faunus was up, and he tossed away a blade that he no doubt pulled from his shoulder.**

" **You're resilient, but you should have stayed down," said Pucelle, who took note of the limp arm that bled profusely, "That blow isn't fatal, but it's still serious."**

" **Shut it!" shouted Sun as he lunged with his left fist cocked, "Yeah, I'm injured, but your sword is broken! This fight is just starting!"**

 **Sun punched with his left, but Pucelle made a fist and deflected the blow with his forearm. In one smooth motion, he followed up the defense with a step of his left foot, and palm strike directly at the wound.**

 **POP**

Sun flinched.

" **Argh!" cried out Sun.**

 **However, Pucelle took a half step to position his right ankle behind Sun's, moved his left hand from the wound to Sun's wrist, and gripped the faunus' face with his right hand.**

" **Nap time," said La Pucelle.**

 **He swept Sun off his feet, and slammed the faunus's head upon the floor.**

"That was… brutal," said Ilia.

"For a moment, I thought I could feel it," said Sun.

Raven got up from her cushion, and moved to the kitchen.

"Where you off too?" asked Qrow with a glare.

"Getting some popcorn. Fill me in on what I miss, little brother," said Raven.

Qrow flipped the bird as her back turned.

 **Back in the streets of Vale, Penny was not happy.**

" **Seriously, if we walked a little faster, we wouldn't have run into** _ **her**_ **," muttered Penny as they arrived home.**

" **I can hear you, you know," said a woman with black hair, black cat ears, yellow eyes, and black and purple kimono.**

"I'm in this one?" asked Blake.

"Ooh, a kimono!" gushed Kali, "You look so lovely. You almost look like my grandmother in her photograph."

Blake blushed a little at the praise.

" **Go away, Blake!" cried out Penny, "Every time you show up, you bring bad luck with you."**

" **Resorting to stereotypes? I thought you were better than that Penny. Have you no heart?" bemoaned Blake dramatically.**

"Wow, you have more personality here, Blake," said Yang.

"I have loads of personality," said Blake.

"True: 'grumpy,' and 'sad'… That makes it three when you add it to 'quiet," said Yang.

Blake's teammates, Ilia, Kali, and Ghira giggled as Blake crossed her arms.

" **Besides, Oscar likes** _ **my**_ **cooking, and knowing Rufus, he won't object. Isn't that right?" Blake asked Rufus flirtatiously.**

Blake and Ruby blushed a little at the sight.

"So…" began Yang.

"Another universe!" Blake and Ruby said in concert.

"… **No," said Rufus distantly.**

 **Coyness gave way to concern on Blake's face.**

" **Oh my, are you feeling alright, Rufus?" asked Blake as she put a hand on Rufus' forehead, "I'm a doctor, you know. If you need any help, you know you can see me, right?"**

 **Penny ground her teeth together at the sight.**

"Someone's jealous," teased Coco.

"Wait… Are Penny and your male counterpart…" began Yang.

"Together-together?!" squealed Nora.

"I… um… I don't know! How would I know?!" stammered Ruby.

"I do find your male counterpart quite attractive," said Penny.

Ruby blushed instantly.

"Ohh… so cute!" gushed Yang.

"Yang, stop. You'll break Ruby," said Blake who gestured to the girl in red.

"Blake, Penny, and I are friends!" cried out Ruby, and Tai began to laugh.

"Guys! Are we just going to ignore the fact that I got stabbed?" asked Sun.

" **No, it's nothing, really," said Rufus as he pushed open the wooden gate of the Polendina family school.**

 **The four walked into the grounds, and toward the – Rufus saw a hole in the training hall that looked like someone had taken a hammer to it.**

" **What is this? What happened here?" asked Penny, shocked.**

" **The smell of blood…" said Rufus.**

" **Rufus – Hey, wait!" shouted Penny.**

 **Rufus ran to the door of the main hall, and flung it open.**

" **SUN!" he cried out as he saw his friend's bloody form next to a medicine box on the floor.**

"At least _someone_ cares," said Sun.

"We care," said Blake, "If _you_ were hurt, we'd come to your side immediately. A counterpart we can't reach or speak to? How could we help?"

"…Sorry. I just overreacted. Even though that isn't really me, it was still hard to watch," Sun sighed.

Blake got up and walked over to Sun, put a hand on his shoulder, and Sun felt a little better.

Kali smiled happily.

Ghira frowned.

 **In a private room of a club, a large burly man with brown hair and blue eyes in a fine Mistral suit held up a glass of red wine.**

"Cardin?" said Pyrrha with a frown.

"What's _he_ doing here?" growled Velvet and Coco.

" **Well, well. Shall we start with a drink, Mr. Pucelle?" asked Cardin, "Or, then again, should that be 'Mr. Arc?"**

"So it was an alias," said Tai.

"Naturally," said Raven as she returned with a bag of popcorn, "Who walks in the lair of the enemy without a disguise?"

"Someone with balls," said Coco.

Raven smiled.

"True, but courage and cunning are better together," she said Raven, as she took a bite of popcorn.

" **Whichever you like, but I'll pass on the wine," said Jaune.**

" **Oh? Not a drinking man? I'm surprised," said Cardin.**

" **No, it's not that. It's just that when I drink, my fingers get twitchy, and I tend to want to kill people," said Jaune calmly, which made Cardin pull back the glass a little. Jaune chuckled, "In this new era of peace though, I've been cutting back."**

 **Cardin gulped and began to chuckle.**

" **Ha, Ha! You're the man I want," he said as he slapped his knee.**

" **Thank you," said Jaune with a polite nod.**

"Of course Cardin would be up to no good," said Ruby.

"Why would we expect anything less from him," agreed Pyrrha.

" **Let's get to the point, then," said Cardin, "The Red Reaper is currently…"**

" **He's in the Polendina Preparatory School for Hunters. I stopped by this afternoon," answered Jaune.**

" **Oh?" said Cardin, impressed.**

" **Sadly, he was not at home," said Jaune.**

 **Cardin burst out laughing.**

" **You truly are a Sentinel, aren't you," said Cardin boisterously, "I admit, I was surprised to hear you wanted to join our cause, but you really are the right man for the job."**

"Wait! Fearless leader wants to help that jerk?" gasped Nora.

" **And I was surprised to hear that you, Mr. Winchester, Head of the Council's Advisory Board of Domestic Affairs, were behind the Tyrian Callows incident that led to the assassinations of prominent council members, all of whom won honors in the revolution," said Jaune, who sipped some tea.**

 **Cardin had a cocky smile.**

" **Let's just say the government has some internal problems," said Cardin before he sipped some wine.**

"Damn… Well, that's one way to clean up the government," said Qrow.

"Or, to deal with political opposition," said Ozpin.

"That's disgusting," snarled Winter, and Glynda and Weiss nodded along.

"Well, at least he gets some payback for his loss," shrugged an amused Raven.

Ironwood leaned in.

"Ozpin isn't Tyrian Callows… You know…" he whispered to his fellow headmaster.

"Indeed… He is the very same one who works for Salem," nodded Ozpin.

" **Well, as a loser of the revolution, it matters little to me," shrugged off Jaune, "It's enough for me to live my life as I please. Killing is one of my greatest talents, and a perfect second job. Especially since my first assignment is to kill my greatest nemesis."**

Ruby shuddered at the look of excitement of Jaune's face.

 **Just then, Jaune turned thoughtful.**

" **But there's one thing I don't get," Jaune began, "Red Reaper is now just some wandering huntsman. Why devote so much time and resources to killing him?"**

 **Just then, a dagger was pressed against Jaune's throat. The man holding the blade had a frame with a lot of muscle, and a mohawk.**

" **Watch it!" said the man.**

" **Russel, that's enough," said Cardin calmly.**

"Whoa that's Russel Thrush?" asked Yang.

"He's a lot…" began Nora.

"Buffer," said all the other students.

"I was gonna say 'taller,' but yeah, that works too," said Nora.

 **Russel retracted the blade, and Jaune put a hand on his heart.**

" **My apologies. I'm new here, and overstepped my bounds. I'll be more discreet in the future," Jaune apologized with a courtly bow.**

" **It's alright, so long as you remember," said Cardin magnanimously, "Now enough about work, let's have some fun."**

" **Thank you for your kindness, but I'll raise suspicions if I don't go back to my real job," said Jaune as he got up from the table.**

 **He pulled up a long sleeve jacket, and pinned a police badge to the lapel and a police hat on his head.**

"He's a cop?" gasped Sun.

"How is he a police officer?" asked Coco.

"It… does make sense," said Winter, "The Sentinels apparently maintained order in the time of the monarch. A police officer is essentially a modern version of what Mr. Arc is familiar with."

" **Excuse me," said Jaune with a nod.**

 **As soon as Jaune exited the door, Russel shot Cardin a look of irritation.**

 **Cardin simply ate in silence for a few minutes before he looked to Russel.**

" **I don't like him," said Russel.**

" **You're lucky he didn't kill you right then and there," said Cardin nonchalantly, "Jaune Arc was captain of the 3** **rd** **Sentinel Unit. Some say he was actually more powerful than Pyrrha Nikos, head of the 1** **st** **unit. Tyrian Callows couldn't kill the Red Reaper, but he was a relative nobody among the Sentinels until he** **lost his rocker. A former captain however, he just might be what we need."**

"Arc is stronger than Pyrrha in this universe?" asked Weiss.

"Pyrrha was ill in this universe," said Blake.

"No, I don't think so," said Ruby, "Jaune's a lot stronger than people give him credit for."

"Indeed," agreed Pyrrha, "While he may not be as strong as we are, his training and work ethic are amazing. He's willing to devote more time to not just getting something right, but being as proficient as possible. I feel that his training will pay great dividends in the long run."

"Well-spoken, Ms. Nikos," said Ozpin.

" **I still don't like him," said Russel.**

" **He's comrade in our common cause," said Cardin, sternly, "Make peace with him, or get out."**

 **Russel grumbled.**

" **When I was requested to assassinate the Red Reaper, I was lost. But if I can pull this off, I can finally say goodbye to my servile position, and all the tedious politics that come with it," said Cardin, "And to think, the same Sentinels that threatened my life daily, will be the ones to propel me into the new world order to come. The 'Hounds of War' we called them, ha! He's nothing but a lapdog now that his fangs are broken!"**

"I get the feeling, that there's more to Jaune than he's letting on," said Ren.

"What makes you say that?" asked Nora.

"The way he's carrying himself, how he's acting toward people. It's subtle, but he's concealing his true self and his true intentions. As someone who keeps his emotions in check, it's easy to recognize."

Ruby and the others became thoughtful, and decided to pay attention to Jaune for the rest of the viewing, to see if there was anything to what Ren said.

 **Back at the Polendina school and manor, Penny opened the door to the training hall on her family's manor grounds.**

" **Rufus…?" asked Penny as she entered the school's training hall.**

 **The was a lone candle by Rufus to light the room, and she saw Rufus was still at the site where they found Sun's body staring at the medicine box. Rufus had told them not to touch it earlier, and given the** **situation, they obeyed.**

"Mr. Arc left the medicine box? Why?" asked Glynda.

"Probably to bait them," said Raven, "An assailant leaving behind a medical box. Talk about dark humor."

" **Rufus…" she called.**

 **Rufus turned to her, got up, and took the candle and walked over.**

" **Is he alright?" asked Rufus.**

" **Yes, Blake stopped the bleeding, and stabilized Sun's condition. He just needs to rest now," said Penny, "Are you okay?"**

" **I'm fine. I finished cleaning up the blood…" Rufus paused, and took a breath, "I'll just stay up a little while, and make sure things are safe."**

" **Well, don't stay up too long," said Penny, "Would you like a sandwich, or something?"**

" **That's very kind, but no thank you. I don't think I can eat right now," said Rufus.**

" **Well… Alright," said Penny, who yawned, "See you tomorrow. Stay safe."**

" **I will," said Rufus softly, "Good night, Miss Penny."**

" **Good night, Rufus," said Penny in response.**

 **Penny walked away, and as soon as she left, Rufus returned to the scene, set the candle down, and once more, took note of what he saw.**

" **This is the same kind of medicine box used by the Sentinels as a part of a disguise to get close to enemy positions. Not to mention the wound of Sun's was horizontal; it would have been perfectly parallel to the ground. The wall… Sun was likely pinned to and pushed through it, if the dust on his body was anything to go by…" Rufus thought aloud, "…There's no mistake. This is the handiwork of Jaune Arc. Has he come to settle the score?"**

"I hope not," said Ruby, "It was hard seeing me verbally fight with Jaune. I don't want to know what an actual fight between us would look like."

"Don't worry, Ruby. Our Jaune would never hurt you," said Pyrrha.

"I know. But we're old enemies in this one…" said Ruby.

 **Rufus looked at the hole in the wall again, and moved to opposite wall. He grabbed his scythe, unlatched the blade and swung it at the wall.**

 **Crack…**

"That's… Not good," said Qrow.

"I don't know. I think the wall is very well-built to withstand such a blow," said Penny.

"Err… sure, but I mean compared to what Arc can do, if it came to a fight, it would be hard for Rufus to fight back," clarified Qrow.

Ruby shuddered.

 **There was a web shaped crack, but compared to the hole on the other end of the room, it was nothing.**

" **Jaune's sword show no form of deterioration. With my vow to never kill again, can I even fight him?" asked Rufus.**

 **Rufus was about to put away his weapon, but he gasped.**

" **Oh no… The wall! Penny will be mad," he groaned nervously.**

"I remember when first got brought Crescent Rose home. You did the same thing after I told you not to show off in the house," groaned Tai.

"It was an accident!" shouted Ruby.

Qrow and Yang snickered at the memory.

 **The next day, in a restaurant in Vale…**

" **Here you go," said a waitress with light, olive skin, and green hair and eyes, who set a bowl of soba noodles on the table.**

"Ooh, that's Ms. Chloris," said Penny, "She's from Haven for the tournament, and excels in skirmishing with her oppenents."

"Scouting out the competition?" asked Weiss.

"Oh yes, my teammate Ciel said it would be a good exercise in observation," said Penny enthusiastically.

"We should do the same," said Weiss.

"Aww… Where's the fun in that! Don't you enjoy the thrill of competition?" asked Yang.

"It's preferable to have a plan on how to engage the enemy," argued Weiss.

"Well said, Schnee. Only idiots attack blindly," said Raven.

Everyone cocked an eyebrow.

"Um… thanks?" said Weiss

 **Jaune looked up and flashed her a smile.**

" **Thank you, Miss," said Jaune in a kind manner.**

 **The waitress blushed a little, and walked away with a skip in her step.**

"Ooh, Jaune's got game here," said Yang.

"Yang…" warned Tai.

"I'm just pointing something out," said Yang sweetly.

"Sure," grumbled Qrow.

" **Now then. Let's eat," said Jaune as he broke a pair of chopsticks.**

" **That's it? Plain soba?" asked a familiar voice that suddenly sat at his table.**

" **An economical lunch," he said as he looked up to see Russel Thrush.**

" **So it is, Mr. Arc," he sneered.**

 **Jaune looked pointedly at him, and returned to his meal.**

" **My friend, Lie Ren, the captain of the 2** **nd** **Sentinel unit introduced it to me. It's become something of an addiction. Also, it's 'Pucelle,' now," said Jaune.**

"So I was a captain in the Sentinels as well?" asked Ren, who took a sip of water.

"Ooh! What about me? Were all of JNPR part of the Sentinels?" asked Nora, excitedly.

"No, you weren't a huntress in the Sentinels, though you were Ren's wife in this universe," said Archie as he paused the viewing.

Ren nearly choked on his drink, and Nora blushed at Archie's words.

"We were… together-together?" asked Nora as she twiddled her fingers.

"Yes, though the war ended tragically for you, your husband and your family," said Archie.

"F-Family…?" sputtered Ren.

"Wait… T-Tragic?" shuddered Nora.

"Yes, it was an assassination attempt to cripple the Sentinels. However, the bomb went off when you and your daughter were waiting for Ren when his return from a mission was delayed. Ren threw himself into work almost nonstop until he was killed at the Battle of Kuroyuri along with Captain Nikos," said Archie.

Team RWBY gasped; another universe where Jaune was the sole survivor of his team.

Nora gulped, and tried to hold back tears at the fate of her counterpart and… well, her counterpart's family. Ren clenched his fist at the information. Pyrrha pulled them both into one-armed hugs, and they took comfort in one another's presence.

"I'm sorry," said Archie, and he resumed the viewing.

" **Mr. Thrush… Was it? Is there something I can help you with?" asked Jaune**

" **No. I just don't like you," he said.**

 **Jaune slurped the noodles, but said nothing.**

" **I should have been given this job. Instead though, just because you used to be a hot-shot Sentinel, Cardin gave it to you, an outsider. I don't like that."**

" **Heh-ha!"**

 **Russel frowned as Jaune slurped his soup.**

" **What's so funny?!" he shouted.**

" **Sorry," apologized Jaune, "To be honest, I totally agree with you. Perhaps we could work together on this?"**

" **Huh?" asked Russel, curious.**

" **You see," began Jaune, "When I left my 'gift' for The Red Reaper, I left clues for him as well. Nothing special to a casual observer, but for one who fought against the Sentinels, specifically me, it's very familiar. No doubt he's put the pieces together now. However, while he'll figure out I'm here, he won't know my intentions. So, when a letter I sent him this morning arrives at his door, he can't help but take the bait."**

" **So, you'll lure him…" said Russel.**

"… **And you'll finish him off. Will that be satisfactory?" asked Jaune.**

" **It is, but I still don't like it," said Russel.**

" **Oh? What don't you like?" asked Jaune.**

" **The Red Reaper is the Sentinels' nemesis. Why give him up so easily?" asked Russel.**

" **He was my nemesis, true, but old grudges don't matter anymore. As I said to Mr. Winchester, I only care about living as I please," said Jaune, "Instead of risking a lot for a big payout, I'll take a small return that's a sure thing. That's the kind of man 'Charles Pucelle' is."**

 **Russel broke into a grin, and stood up.**

" **That, I like. You got a deal," he said, "But I'm warning you, I'm still the number one assassin in this outfit. Got it?"**

 **Jaune nodded, and Russel left Jaune to finish his meal. When Jaune did, he couldn't help but chuckle.**

" **You can keep the title Mr. Thrush. I have no desire to be the top dog," Jaune said with a smile.**

"Well, it appears you are correct in your observations, Mr. Ren," said Ozpin.

"Huh…? Oh, yeah," said Ren silently.

"Cool…" said Nora, equally sad.

Glynda shot Ozpin a look.

"I thought it would lighten the mood," whispered Ozpin.

"Too soon," said Glynda.

 **In the afternoon, Rufus walked into a grass clearing with large rocks strewn about, and he held a letter in his hands.**

" **I'm here, Jaune, as you wished. Why not come out and show yourself?" he said.**

 **Suddenly, Rufus pulled out the haft of his scythe, and unlatched the protected scythe blade into the ready position and swung.**

 **Clang-Clack-Cling**

 **Three throwing knives landed around Rufus, who saw his assailant: a large man with a Mohawk and tattoos.**

" **Who are you? What quarrel do you have with me?" asked Rufus.**

" **I'm Russel Thrush," he said, "As for my quarrel… I'll tell you at your grave!"**

 **Russel waved his arms, and a storm of knives hurtled toward Rufus.**

"Throwing knives…?" asked Ruby, "Does Russel use throwing knives? I know he has twin daggers, and all."

"It's likely another variation of this universe. That's not the Russel we know, after all," said Weiss.

 **Back at the manor…**

" **An errand?" asked Penny.**

" **Yeah. Rufus said he might be late," said Oscar.**

" **Odd… The only errands Rufus ever does is for us, or for Ciel at her tavern," mused Penny.**

"Ciel runs a tavern? Given my teammate's driven nature, she would not be pleased to hear this information," said Penny.

" **Oh! Maybe it's a woman!" said Oscar.**

" **What?" gasped Penny.**

" **Yeah! It has to be! Rufus has been here for three months. He was bound to get some action sooner or later!"**

"BWA-Haha!" laughed Yang, Tai, and Qrow.

Ruby blushed a lot.

"G-Guys! That's not funny!" she shouted.

Ruby's other two teammates snorted a little at Ruby's plight as did Coco, Velvet, Ilia, and Sun. Jaune's teammates couldn't help but smile a little at the banter as well.

 **Penny clocked Oscar on the head.**

" **Will you get your mind out of the gutter? Rufus is nothing like that!" shouted Penny with an embarrassed blush.**

" **Well you don't have to hit me!" shouted Oscar.**

 **THACK-THACK**

 **The two stopped their bickering at the sound of the knocker on the gate. Penny made her way to the gate, and opened it to reveal a blonde in a Vale Police uniform with deep blue eyes and a sword at his hip.**

Everyone gasped, except Raven who tackled her popcorn with more gusto.

" **Pardon me," the officer tipped his hat, "I've heard there's a Mr. Rose at this school."**

 **Penny and Oscar tensed. Was Rufus in trouble…?**

" **I'm Lieutenant Charles Pucelle. I've recently been assigned here, and I've heard of Mr. Rose from the chief."**

 **Penny sighed in relief.**

" **Oh… Well, Rufus is not home at the moment," said Penny.**

" **Yes, well, it's not confirmed yet, but we've had information that someone is after Mr. Rose's life," said the lieutenant in a worried voice, which made Penny and Oscar concerned once more, "I'm sorry, but may I wait here a bit? I was to go directly to Mr. Rose with the information."**

" **Um… Sure, but he might be a while. But if you don't mind…" said Penny.**

" **Not at all," said Lt. Pucelle pleasantly…**

"He's manipulating everyone," said Weiss, "Friend and Foe…"

"You've noticed that too?" asked Winter.

"Yes," said Weiss.

"There's only one thing I would correct you on though, Weiss," said Winter, which got Weiss' attention.

"I don't think Mr. Arc has any friends in this scenario… Or rather, he does not see anyone as a friend. I sense Mr. Arc has his own objectives," said Winter.

 **Back on the rocky field, Rufus stood triumphant over the body of his assailant. The ground all around them was littered with knives, and Rufus held the twin dirks of Russel in his hands. Rufus levelled a glare at his downed enemy, who flinched at the intensity of the silver eyed warrior.**

"Ha! As if mere daggers could triumph over Crescent Rose!" declared Ruby triumphantly.

" **Who are you?" he asked Russel evenly, "What connection do you have with Jaune Arc?"**

 **Russel gasped, and immediately prostrated into submission.**

" **I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to attack! B-But Jaune… He threatened me… I had no choice!" Russel wailed.**

" **Coward…" muttered Rufus.**

"He's pandering," said Raven.

"Yeah, an amateur could figure that out," said Qrow.

" **Nothing you say can be believed," said Rufus who turned his back, "…but for mercy's sake you can go. Get a new line of work."**

 **Rufus walked away, but was certain to hold onto the daggers.**

"No! Don't turn your back!" said Ruby.

"You really are too kind, sometimes" sighed Weiss.

"Well, at least you're holding onto the weapons," said Blake.

 **Russel looked up in joy.**

" **Y-Yes, of course…" Russel whipped his arm, and Rufus turned, "Right after I kill you!"**

 **Rufus saw a chain approach, and he dropped the dirks and assumed a defensive posture. His arm was positioned as such so that when the chain tried to wrap around his neck, his forearm prevented a fatal choke. However, with one arm, he couldn't use his scythe either.**

"An assassin with a concealed weapon? What are the odds?" gasped Raven sarcastically.

" **Quick thinking, but at what cost. You can't fight…" Russel put has other hand on the chain and, with a mighty tug, whipped Rufus into the air, "…And you can't escape!"**

 **Russel yanked downward, and Rufus landed hard on the ground.**

"If I lose to Russel… I'm gonna be so mad!" declared Ruby.

"It would be a good lesson in humility, though. Remember that until you actually incapacitate your enemy, the fight is still active," said Glynda.

 **Back at Polendina's, Oscar saw a shine that caught his attention.**

" **Whoa, is that a castle-steel sword?" asked Oscar.**

" **Oh, you're familiar with them?" asked Lt. Pucelle who paused from inspecting his blade.**

" **My father was a royalist out in Mistral. He had a dagger a Vale comrade gave him before he died, but even though the blade was smaller, I'll never forget the shine," said Oscar excitedly, then he became melancholy, "But then it was melted down when we lost the revolution. All of the castle steel weapons were."**

" **They were symbols of the power of the kings, and their loyalists. Many were melted down, but not all," said the lieutenant, "As for how I have one… Let's just say I bear special permission."**

" **You must be something, if that's the case," said Oscar.**

" **Thank you…" he replied, before he checked his pocket watch.**

" **Don't worry," said Oscar, "Rufus will be here soon."**

" **I'm in no rush…" replied the officer.**

"All those weapons melted down…? That's rather tragic," said Ozpin.

"Really?" asked Ironwood.

"Yes," said Ozpin nostalgically, "Even if you only see one in a museum, the weapons were works of art, as much as they were masterpieces of engineering."

 **Back at the rocky field, the sun was near setting, when Russel panted as he stood over Rufus' body.**

" **Six times… Man you were tough," Russel chuckled, as he got one of his daggers that littered the clearing, "You're not dead yet, but you're close, so I'll tell you. Arc, and I were hired by the same people who hired Tyrian Callows. Why you? Who knows, but my guess is that after you beat that nutcase Callows, and given all the bloody assassinations you did in the revolution, some of the big wigs in the council got desperate to hide their dirty laundry."**

"A cleanup crew…" said Winter, disgusted, "Few things are more dishonorable than those in power willing to destroy their own soldiers to save their hides. It's just like the last viewing.

"Hard to forget," growled Blake.

"Yeah…" growled Ilia.

 **Russel readied his dagger for the coup de grace…**

" **So, Jaune is now an assassin like Tyrian Callows…" said Rufus casually.**

 **Russel leapt back.**

" **How…? I should have broken your aura!" decalred Russel.**

" **Your throws were strong, but you chose to suddenly yank me down instead of making one continuous swing. That brief pause in momentum was all the time I needed to prepare for the impact, with just enough aura to cushion the fall."**

"Looks like my counterpart isn't the only one who needs a lesson," said Ruby.

"Yeah…" said Nora, "It's just like momentum weapons. If you make a sudden in direction, the blow isn't as strong as it could be.

"Oh, you're back…! Err, I mean, how you holding up Nora?" asked Yang.

"Better," said Nora, "Still a little sad hearing what happened to my counterpart, but well, you know… Like Blake said, I can't control what I can't interact with. I'll mourn what happened, but I won't let it weigh me down."

"…Same here" said Ren, "Well said, Nora."

"T-Thanks, Ren…" said Nora.

The two looked at one another a second longer than they normally would, and looked back to the screen with light blushes on their faces. Pyrrha caught the look though, and smiled.

" **Then I'll just slam you nonstop into the rocks, and kill you for sure!" shouted Russel.**

 **Russel yanked the chain harder than he did before, and Rufus was hurtling into the rock. However, Russel saw that Rufus had grabbed one of the stray daggers that jutted from the ground, and was able to flip his body. Rufus landed feet first, and pushed off the rock and headed toward Russel.**

" **What the..."**

 **Russel froze, stunned at the speed Rufus travelled toward him. Furthermore, his arms were in an awkward position, and couldn't be moved in time. The last thing he saw was Rufus, with the knife in an inverse position, strike his temple with blunt handle…**

"Beaten by his own weapon? Serves him right for cheating!" shouted Penny.

"Yeah!" said Ruby who held out a hand.

Penny stared at it, and put some popcorn in it.

"No, Penny! High-five me!" said Ruby.

"But you're arm's lower than the appropriate level for a high-five," said Penny.

Yang, Weiss, and Tai chuckled at Ruby's slumped face.

 **In the streets of Vale, Rufus walked steadily to the school of Miss Penny, and saw her waiting at the gate.**

" **Rufus!" she called out when she saw him.**

" **Hi, Miss Penny," he greeted nervously.**

" **I was worried about… Oh! You're hurt! Are you alright?" asked Penny, worried.**

" **I'm fine," Rufus brushed off with a dismissive wave, and laugh.**

 **Penny narrowed her eyes, and Rufus began to sweat a little as his laugh turned brittle.**

"Someone's whipped," commented Qrow.

"Like you and Tai were any better. All Summer had to do with make a sad face, and you and Tai were like putty in her hands," scoffed Raven.

"Says the woman who did everything Summer asked in exchange of a sparring session back in school," said Tai.

"I obeyed when it was clear Summer stayed strong, which makes my cooperation more dignified than yours," said Raven.

"So in other words, Summer kicking your ass all four years at Beacon was why you were a good team player?" teased Qrow.

Raven shot Qrow a dangerous stare that made him flinch.

'You know nothing, as always,' thought Raven as she returned her attention to the screen.

"… **Anyway, your life is in danger," said Penny seriously, "We shouldn't go out for a while."**

 **Rufus was alarmed by Penny's words.**

" **Where did you hear that?" he asked as he followed Penny through to the main building of the school.**

" **From the police. The chief sent us one of his men," said Penny as she opened the door, "He's a swordsman, Lieutenant Charles Pucelle."**

 **Rufus looked to a figure sitting casually with his back to the door, and his heart went still. The figure pulled out a pocket watch, and checked the time.**

" **Well. It seems you had some trouble with Russel Thrush," said the figure, who looked over his shoulder to Rufus with a wolfish-smile, "You're not… what you were. Are you."**

RWBY and the three members of JNPR also tensed at the scene. On the one hand, they had a feeling they would see Jaune and Rufus meet. On the other, they didn't want them to meet at all, since they knew a fight would most certainly ensue.

 **Rufus couldn't speak as the man he saw from years ago get up in a casual manner.**

" **The last time we fought was on the battlefields outside Kuroyuri," continued Jaune, "So… That makes it around ten years."**

Ren wondered if his hometown still stood in this universe. He then felt a familiar hand around his, and he turned to see Nora. She stared at the screen with worry, and Ren came back to the here-and-now and comforted her by tightening his hand around hers.

 **Penny looked to Rufus, concerned.**

" **Rufus, do you know Mr. Pucelle?" asked Penny.**

" **Mr. Pucelle?' Is that your new name?" asked Rufus in a challenging tone, "Former Royal Knight of Vale, and Captain of the 3** **rd** **Sentinel Unit, Jaune Arc."**

 **Penny and Oscar's eyes widened at Rufus' words.**

" **Royal Knight?" asked Oscar.**

" **Sentinel…? Then that means –** _ **he's**_ **the one after Rufus!" gasped Penny.**

 **Jaune smirked.**

" **Ten years…" Jaune mused, "It's two simple words, but to have lived through it all…"**

" **Yes," agreed Rufus before he frowned, "…It seems enough to make a man rot."**

 **Jaune looked at Rufus, intrigued.**

" **Some royalists like Tyrian Callows were crazy, some were petty, but not you," began Rufus, "There were twists to you that couldn't be fathomed, but in battle you were honorable and straightforward. Hurting your enemy by hurting his friends, using other warriors as bait, taking hostages. You never resorted to such tactics. The Jaune Arc of the past… He was a man."**

Ozpin flinched a little upon hearing that.

"Sir?" asked Glynda.

"Just thinking about your words earlier. About how view and methods change over time. How true they are…" said Ozpin.

Ozpin's war with Salem used to be straight forward. Now though, after centuries, after all he had done, after so many of his old principles were bent and compromised for that little extra chance for victory, and yet for so little progress… He doubted he could face his younger self.

 **Jaune stared, almost bored, before he shook a little with a twisted smile.**

" **Heh… Heh-heh… Huh-Huh-huh-huh… Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-HA!"**

 **The dam broke.**

" **HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"**

Everyone, even Raven was taken aback by the raucous laughter that came from Jaune's mouth.

" **What's so funny?!" demanded Oscar, offended.**

" **After hearing that drivel, how could I not laugh?" chuckled Jaune as he reigned it in, "I figured his scythe went dull. I never expected his head to go dull too."**

" **What…?" growled Penny.**

" **Russel Thrush – bait?" scoffed Jaune, who levelled a severe glare at Rufus, "Don't be stupid. A worm would have made better bait."**

"Whoa, savage," said Sun.

"He's not even apologizing for it," gasped Blake, "I mean I know Jaune doesn't have a high opinion of CDRL, not many of us do, but still…"

" **We royalists, who fought against the Red Reaper… We know his strength more than any other. But to know you struggled against some two-bit assassin. This 'Vow to Never Kill'… Clearly, it's made you weak," growled Jaune.**

" **Rufus… weak?" shuddered Penny.**

" **Jaune… Think whatever you wish," said Rufus firmly, "I've chosen to take up the old role of Knight Errant. Having enough power to protect others is all I need. I don't need to be the Red Reaper to prove my strength."**

 **Penny and Oscar smiled proudly at their friend.**

"Yeah, you tell him other me!" cheered Ruby.

" **A Knight-Errant? You?" scoffed Jaune, who undid a button on his uniform shirt, "You're a failure even as a Knight-Errant."**

 **Rufus' eyes widened.**

" **While you played in the dirt with Russel, I was here the whole time. Because of my new job as a police officer, these fools you've boarded with didn't suspect a thing," said Jaune as he drew his sword, "Which means if I wanted to kill them, I could have done it at any time."**

Ruby and the others instantly deflated upon hearing that.

"This version of Jaune is starting to scare me," said Nora.

After how Jaune spoke of killing people so casually, Pyrrha, Velvet, and Yang couldn't help but acknowledge Nora's statement with a nod.

 **Rufus and the others gasped at Jaune's words as the blonde tossed the sheath of his sword to the side.**

" **This isn't the first time either," continued Jaune, "Your fight with Tyrian Callows, the other with the Albain Brothers … You've had those you would 'protect' – that's your word – taken by the enemy. Not to mention letting scum like Roman Torchwick inflict a wound that will last a lifetime."**

" **But – We didn't tell the police anything about Torchwick…" gasped Penny, "Was he… Has he been spying on Rufus this whole time?"**

"He's been stalking me?" gasped Ruby.

"He's like a hunter who's tracked, and now cornered his quarry. Now it's just a simple matter of seeing how they prey acts," commented Raven.

Tai, Yang, and Qrow gritted their teeth at Raven's analogy.

" **Unused strength is the same as none," said Jaune, ignoring Penny, "Your hypocrisy fills my belly with disgust."**

" **Shut up!" shouted Oscar, "Nobody died those times because Rufus** _ **was**_ **there!"**

 **Jaune faced the young boy.**

" **And what guarantee do you have that makes you think it will** _ **always**_ **be that way?" asked Jaune coldly.**

"…"

"…"

"…"

" **I thought The Red Reaper would see this, which was why I got Russel to attack him," sighed out Jaune in response to the silence of the three, "But as you put it: ten years is enough to make a man rot. Drowning in self-satisfaction and phony righteousness. How can a huntsman protect people without killing those who would harm them? 'Swift Death to Evil;' that was the code** _ **all**_ **huntsmen followed, or have you forgotten?"**

 **Rufus stared.**

"He does have a point," said Ilia, "If Rufus truly wants to protect others, he needs to back up his ideals with actual results. If what Arc said is true, then Rufus needs to be more proactive."

"He's trying to avoid killing again. If he shows less restraint, even a blunt blade can kill a person," argued Ghira.

"So what!" argued Raven, "Do you become so consumed by some lofty ideal that you're willing to forego common sense? If someone threatened my tribe, I would show no mercy, even if they realized their mistake and begged for it."

"Exactly!" said Ilia.

"Violence isn't always the solution. Sometimes, that just makes things worse, and makes protecting others more difficult," insisted Ghira.

"Dad," cut in Blake, "Please, this is the same debate you had with Sienna… and with me. It's not worth arguing, at least, not right now."

Ghira stared at Blake, and sighed.

"Come on. Let's just get through this viewing, and we can think on it for a bit afterward," said Blake.

"…Okay," said Ghira, and Archie resumed the scene.

" **I can't stand seeing you like this. Not anymore," said Jaune.**

"… **No matter what you say, I still refuse to take another life," said Rufus calmly.**

"… **Is that so?" Jaune said with a nasty smirk before he took on his Key stance, "Then come. I'll deny everything that you are."**

 **Penny gulped, but Rufus remained calm.**

"Oh no…!" gasped Ruby.

" **What's wrong?" asked Rufus, "Will you just stand there and let the girl get caught up in my Comet Strike?"**

"Wait, he wouldn't drag Penny into this, would he?" asked Velvet, frightened.

"He was willing to use Mr. Thrush as a proxy, and Rufus' earlier explanation of how the Sentinels operated indicates they aren't above such tactics," said Glynda.

"Jaune…" shuddered Pyrrha, horrified.

 **Rufus stared, and took a step forward as his had reached for his scythe. Before he could get far, Penny grabbed onto his shoulder.**

" **Miss Penny?" he asked.**

 **Penny looked scared, and shook her head.**

" **It'll be fine," said Rufus in a reassuring manner, "Either way, it's life he's after. This fight cannot be avoided."**

" **Still…" began Penny, but Rufus' smile stopped her from speaking.**

 **Rufus walked to another wall, away from Penny. Jaune got out of his stance to allow him to get to a better position to fight, and to the side Penny watched with worry as Oscar went to her side.**

" **Come," said Jaune as Rufus stopped walking.**

" **Aren't you the challenger…?" asked Rufus.**

" **Huh… Fair enough," said Jaune, who quickly got back into his stance.**

 **Jaune lunged as he did with Sun, and as he thrusted his blade, Rufus leapt into the air. The blade crashed into the wall and shattered it, and Rufus pulled out his scythe, and wound it up overhead.**

" **The Pale Rider technique!" shouted Oscar, "No way Rufus will lose! He's the strongest ever!"**

"…Okay, I know this isn't the best time, but that does sound like a kickass name for a move," said Yang.

"Yeah… cool," said Ruby distantly.

" **Do you think you can dodge it like that, Reaper!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Jaune flicked his blade up, and lunged. Rufus blinked at the speed, and twisted his body.**

 **SLPTtttsh…**

 **Rufus gasped as a fire of pain spread throughout his body, and his blood began to spill.**

" **Rufus!" screamed Penny.**

Ruby gasped.

"That bastard!" shouted Tai.

"Calm down, Tai. It's not our Ruby," said Qrow, though he too was displeased, if the tone of voice was any indicator.

 **Jaune glanced at the impact point, and suddenly pulled. Because his variation of the ox-stance had the flat of the blade horizontal instead of vertical, the pull became a slash. The attack dragged Rufus downward as it cut into him, and Jaune delivered a swift airborne kick and saw Rufus bounce roughly upon impact.**

"That was…" began Coco.

"Whoa… I thought my counterpart got it bad. That was…" Sun stuttered.

Penny felt something as she saw that. Her heart raced, yet she felt cold. There was a chill in her mind, and she felt it tingle her back. There was also a desire to hurt… and to kill…

'This must be fear, and anger,' thought Penny.

" **Not bad, you twisted just enough to evade the point, more quickly than I anticipated," commented Jaune after he landed on the ground. He saw Rufus struggle to his knees, and sighed, "However, you truly have gone dull if you forgot my attack's contingency strike. Even if you dodge the thrust, I can still strike with a slash. My Comet Strike is the combination of Valean longsword forms with Mistrali katana techniques. My studies and applications ensured there is no blind spot."**

"So that's how he took a defensive stance and turned into a means of attack," began Ozpin, "He combined the sword styles of the two kingdoms."

"Not quite," said Winter, "While the first stance is a longsword form, the thrust is clearly from Mantle's classical fencing forms. He wove not two, but three styles as one."

 **Rufus panted on his knees, and clutched his side to stop the bleeding.**

" **As such…" Jaune took up the same stance, "…its deadliness is inescapable."**

" **The same move?" gasped Penny.**

" **If you have a move guaranteed to finish the enemy, why use anything less!" declared Jaune as he lunged yet again.**

"True. Why beat around the bush when you know you can end things," agreed Raven.

 **Jaune thrusted his sword, and Rufus parried the blow with his scythe. Before Rufus could even attack though, Jaune's wrist moved with the deflection briefly before it whipped back, and struck the scythe down. Rufus looked stunned, and Jaune moved in and delivered a swift kick to Rufus' face. The scythe-wielder was sent flying into the wall that had a rack of practice weapons. Weapons were knocked down, and the wall cracked on impact.**

" **Useless," said Jaune, "The skills that enabled me to survive countless duels and battles from the revolution, and the upheaval afterward are no longer even known today. Tell me, Red Reaper, have you forgotten so much as well?"**

" **Rufus!" Penny rushed to his side, and tried to help him up, but was stunned by the ferocious glare on the silver-eyed warrior as he panted for air.**

" **Move, little girl," said Jaune in a level voice.**

 **Penny whipped around with a defiant look in her eyes.**

" **Get out of the way," said Jaune, unimpressed.**

"I would not move either," said Penny with determination.

"You wouldn't?" asked Ruby.

"Of course not," said Penny, "You're my friend, Ruby. Friends protect each other."

"That's right," chimed in Weiss.

Ruby felt her spirit lift further up.

 **Before Penny could say anything, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Rufus on his feet, a determined look in his eyes.**

" **Let's go…" Rufus growled.**

 **Rufus gently nudged Penny aside, and she reluctantly moved. As soon as she got a fair distance away, Rufus charged. Jaune blinked in surprise, but readied his attack and thrusted at Rufus just in time to-**

 **The sword stabbed into falling rose petals.**

"Better reaction time," said Qrow in an approving manner.

" **What?!" gasped Jaune, but noticed a glint beneath his vision**

 **Rufus was low, and about to deliver a low sweep with his scythe. Jaune was faster though, as he pulled his back leg forward and delivered a swift blow beneath Rufus' chin and up. The kick sent Rufus back into the wall he had landed upon just moments ago.**

"Still not there yet," corrected Raven.

" **He's gotten faster…" mused Jaune with a stoic expression.**

" **Oh no… He's breathing too harshly," shuddered Penny.**

" **HUFF… Huff… Hf…"**

 **Rufus looked up, and both Jaune and Penny gasped at the steely gaze on Rufus' face. Jaune looked in awe as Rufus stood straight, with his scythe casually at his side, and his silver eyes ablaze.**

" **Could it be…?" Jaune began, "Are you starting to remember your old self, or did you just snap?"**

 **Rufus did not answer Jaune.**

 **Jaune grinned.**

" **Let's find out," Jaune got into his stance, only this time, he held the blade with one hand on the handle. The tip of the blade hovered above his open hand between the extended thumb and index finger. For what he had in mind, the two digits were necessary to help him remain accurate.**

" **This is the** _ **real**_ **Comet Strike! There will be no holding back!" declared Jaune.**

" **Wait! This whole time… He was holding back?" gasped Oscar.**

"Wait… Does that mean he held back against my counterpart earlier?" asked Sun.

"You really did get off easy then, if that's the case," said Kali.

 **Jaune lunged yet again, and his blade flashed white.**

"That's Jaune's semblance!" gasped Pyrrha.

"His semblance?" asked Tai, concerned.

"Jaune's semblance is the ability to manipulate and amplify aura. He can use it do some cool stuff, but in a fight, he can power up others or himself," said Yang, worried.

"Jaune 'holding back' sent Sun flying through a wall. What would an amplified strike do?" shuddered Blake.

 **When Jaune thrusted his sword, aimed at Rufus' face, Rufus sidestepped immediately. The air was pushed by the speed of Jaune's thrust, and a ball of air charged with white aura shot from the blade tip's stopping point. The ball of concentrated air and aura cracked the wall upon impact. A large cloud of plaster dust, and the sound of cracked wood filled the air as the wall now bore a massive crack.**

"Comet Strike… A fitting name," said Ironwood, impressed.

"Seeing it break the wooden beams around the impact point, I must say you were quite lucky Mr. Wukong. That much force could have broken many bones, if Mr. Arc used his attack, at full strength," said Glynda.

"That's a scary thought," said Sun.

" **Did you forget?" shouted Jaune, who slashed the blade that still glowed white to the direction of Rufus.**

"Amplified, it wouldn't surprise me if that slash could cut through aura like paper," said Raven.

Ruby, Yang, and her family gripped their seats…

 **However, Jaune gasped when in an instant, Rufus' side step turned into pivot, and the dull scythe caressed along the back of Jaune's neck.**

" **HOHHH!"**

 **Rufus activated his own semblance and yanked Jaune along with him and pulled. Rufus' rose petal trail came to a sudden halt, and Rufus continued to pull his arm, which sent Jaune right into the wall that his Comet Strike cracked. Jaune was blown straight through, and landed roughly in the garden outside.**

" **Wow, he rode the momentum of his dodge to add centrifugal force to his Shepherd's Crook technique!" cheered Oscar.**

"Um… Another cool name for an attack?" offered Nora.

Ruby did not answer this time.

 **Penny was in awe of what she saw, but to see this side of Rufus was unsettling for her.**

" **However strong the Comet Strike may be, when used in repetition, even an idiot can come up with a few ways to counter," said Rufus in a cold voice.**

"Quite true," said Weiss, "While I can agree with Arc's counterpart that if you have a technique that can defeat opponents in one shot, you shouldn't use it too often lest the enemy learn a weakness."

" **Get up, Jaune. A ten-year duel can't end this quietly," said Rufus.**

 **Jaune got to his feet, and approached the building. There was a wobble in his step at first, but once he found his balance, he cracked his neck, and steadily moved and climbed into the building. Jaune was covered in dirt, plaster, splinters, and bled from his forehead where he collided with the wall.**

" **He-heh… My orders were to simply evaluate your strength, but I don't care about those anymore. I think I'll just kill you," said Jaune.**

"Orders…?" remarked Kali, "I thought Winchester wanted Mr. Rose dead?"

"Winchester might have wanted him dead, but does _someone else_ want him alive?" asked Winter.

"The plot thickens…" commented Ozpin.

" **Quit posing.** _ **I'm**_ **the one who's going to kill you," said Rufus.**

 **Rufus pressed made a gripping motion twice on his scythe's lever, and the dull edge retracted to reveal a pristine blade edge.**

 **Penny gasped as a memory came to her mind…**

 _ **Rufus stood over a scorpion faunus with a broken arm, yellow eyes and a manic smile. Rufus raised his scythe high into the air, and looked down on the madman with a cold, pitiless expression.**_

" _ **I've no desire in satisfying your death wish, Tyrian Callows, but to save Miss Penny, I will become the Red Reaper once more," Rufus coldly.**_

" _ **AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the man, Tyrian, cackled, "THAT'S RIGHT! BECOME WHAT YOU ONCE WERE! THE MAN WHO SPILLED THE BLOOD OF VALE'S LAST KING! THE MAN WHO MADE THE STREETS OF MISTRAL FLOW WITH BLOOD! BE THE RED REAPER, AND LET ME TASTE YOUR CRAZED BLADE!"**_

…

The whole audience was stunned by the revelation of what Rufus did during the mentioned revolution that occurred in this universe.

"I… I knew my male counterpart attacked Vale's last king, but… he also killed _people_ in Mistral?" gasped Ruby, as tears began to form.

"Ruby, don't think on it," said Weiss.

"But Weiss…!"

"That's not you!" said Weiss bluntly, "Do not feel guilt for a life that isn't yours."

Ruby stared at Weiss, before she looked away. Weiss sighed, and offered Ruby a handkerchief.

"You're a good person, and kind to a fault," said Weiss, with a softer voice, "You would never do that, and if you ever came close to becoming this 'Reaper' everyone calls Rufus, we, your team, would make sure you never went down that road."

"Weiss…" said Ruby, touched and in awe.

"Now wipe those tears, and don't you even think about moping," said Weiss.

"Got it… Thanks for reminding me. You really are the best partner ever," said Ruby.

"Of course," Weiss said.

The heiress smiled discreetly since Ruby felt better.

 **Penny collapsed to her knees.**

" **Penny!" cried out Oscar, who went to her side.**

" **Stop them… Someone stop them, please…" Penny gasped out as tears began to fall, "Stop them, or we'll lose Rufus forever."**

 **The two huntsmen didn't hear them, and charged at one another yet again.**

 **CLANG**

 **Oscar leapt black when he saw something shiny hurtle toward him.**

" **Yikes!" he yelped when a blade landed where his foot had been.**

 **Jaune looked at his sword, stunned. The blade had been sliced cleanly, and now had a weapon half its original length.**

" **You were a fool to challenge me without Crocea Mors," said Rufus, "Next time, I'll slice your head off."**

" **Whoa… Rufus looks pretty scary," gulped Oscar.**

" **You're wrong!" cried out Penny, "That's not Rufus, that's the Red Reaper!"**

" **Uh… Huh?" asked Oscar, confused.**

" **He's the Reaper again!" Penny insisted, "We need to stop them!"**

" **I don't think we can…"**

 **The two looked to see Sun wrapped in bandages, and leaning on Blake's shoulder for support.**

" **Look at them… They aren't holding back anymore, they don't care who can get hurt," grunted Sun as he pointed to the chipped blade that just landed, "It's almost like they're reliving the days of the Revolution… I don't think we can reach them…"**

"It must be a form of PTSD," said Winter, "The sheer amount of violence they're inflicting upon one another has triggered latent memories."

"And now, they're in their own little world," said Glynda sadly.

 **Jaune assumed his Comet Strike stance once more, and charged.**

"Again?" gasped Coco, "But why?"

Everyone in the audience was surprised as well.

" **He's using the Comet Strike with a broken sword?!" gasped Penny.**

 **Rufus caught the blade with his scythe, but was unexpected forced into a deadlock by the force and aggressiveness that Jaune came at him with.**

" **You Sentinels never did know when to call it quits," ground out Rufus as he glared daggers at Jaune.**

" **First rule of the Sentinels: act in a manner befitting a warrior!" Jaune ground out, and forced Rufus back. He reassumed the Comet Strike stance and charged, "To turn your back on your enemy is to show you have no determination!"**

"What? But with a broken sword, what can he do?" gasped Pyrrha.

"At this point, it's a matter of honor," said Ren, "Jaune started the fight. After coming so far, only for him to give up? His honor as a warrior would not stand for it. He'll fight until he wins, or he can't fight anymore."

Pyrrha felt her heart break upon hearing that. Seeing Jaune and Ruby's counterpart fight like this left a bad taste in her mouth, and she was sure everyone else felt that way.

'Except for Raven,' she mentally added.

 **As Jaune thrusted his blade, Rufus back stepped, and backhanded the flat of the Jaune's blade with his fist. As the blade fell from Jaune's hand, Rufus then grabbed his scythe with both hands and swung. Jaune reacted in time, and leapt back and got into a karate stance.**

" **Rufus used his bare hands?" gasped Blake.**

" **Yeah," said Sun, "Rufus' weapon is much heavier than a broken sword. If he used his scythe, the delay it would take to get the weapon back into position would give Arc the chance to attack."**

" **You choose your pride as a Sentinel over your life? Fine with me," said Rufus.**

 **Rufus charged, as did Jaune.**

" **It's over," said Sun, "Even if this guy knows martial arts, there's no way he could beat Rufus with his scythe."**

 **Jaune's fist snaked into his pocket as he ducked to avoid Rufus' hit, and struck out.**

 **WHAPPP**

 **Everyone was stunned to see that Jaune had used a belt to whip Rufus' hand. The buckle struck so hard that Rufus let go of the scythe mid-swing, and the weapon spun out his hands and clanged to the side.**

"A belt? When did he get that?" shouted Yang.

" **His uniform belt?! When did he…?" Penny gasped, "When Rufus used the Shepherd's Crook?"**

"That's a highly probable scenario," said Penny, no, she growled, "Jaune was out of sight after that attack after all."

"He probably took it off when he was still on the ground," said Tai.

" **I HAVE YOU!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Jaune kicked Rufus away from his weapon, and stepped in to keep Rufus off balance. The sounds of a fists and feet striking a human body accompanied the coughs and hacks Rufus gave out as he was beaten down. Jaune delivered a swift knee to Rufus' gut and sent Rufus back further.**

"You are so learning hand-to-hand later," said Yang.

"But, we tried that already. I'm no good at-"

"No buts," added Tai, "You _will_ learn it."

 **Jaune ran a hand, and tore it through the buttons of his police jacket, and whipped it off his body. As Rufus reeled from the blow, Jaune got behind the smaller man, and wrapped it around Rufus' neck and pulled his arms.**

 **Rufus was hoisted up, and his feet dangled in the makeshift noose that Jaune's jacket created.**

Everyone gasped in horror at what Jaune did. Even Raven felt ill at the sight.

" **This is the end!" shouted Jaune.**

" **He's strangling him!" shouted Oscar.**

" **No… He's trying to break his neck!" gulped Sun, who saw just how much effort Jaune put into the stranglehold.**

 **Rufus tugged and was able to loosen the jacket just enough to gasp for air.**

" **It's useless! Accept your-"**

 **Rufus flexed his core so a he formed a ball. The momentum swung him forward, and when he swung back, he kicked both legs out and kicked Jaune square in the chest. The surprise of the kick made Jaune relinquish his grip on his jacket, and fall back as Rufus fell to the floor.**

" **HOOO-Ack-Ack…" coughed Rufus as he heaved for air.**

"Oh, thank the gods…" sighed out Tai.

"Yes," agreed Pyrrha, "I couldn't tell if I wanted to scream, cry, or throw up."

 **Rufus' vision was blurred, and he fumbled his hands about and grasped a wooden sword from one of the crushed weapon's rack from the earlier bout. Rufus and Jaune struggled to their feet, and stared at one another with baleful eyes as the got into wobbly stances.**

 **As they watched, the four onlookers realized their legs were shaking, and that they were sweating in fear.**

"They're scared," shuddered Ilia.

"Wouldn't you be?" asked Sun.

" **Is this… Is this what fighting in the revolution was like?" asked Penny, horrified and near tears.**

" **L-Look at them," gulped Blake, "They're spent."**

" **Y-Yeah. The next attack… It'll decide everything," said Sun.**

" **Rufus…" Penny quietly cried, and she reached for him.**

" **Let's finish this," said Jaune.**

" **Why not?" replied Rufus.**

 **Before Penny could grab Rufus, the two warriors charged, and she stumbled into to her knees.**

" **NOOO!" cried Penny.**

" **STOP THIS, AT ONCE!"**

 **The two warrior stopped mid-charge as a purple aura around their bodies, and the two faced the main door. There a woman in in a police uniform with a riding crop, glasses, wavy blonde hair in a bun, and sea-green eyes that exuded authority.**

"Miss Goodwitch saves the day!" sighed out Nora in relief.

"I think this is the happiest I've ever seen you, Miss Goodwitch," said Coco, half-joking, half-relieved.

"I'm glad my presence is so reassuring to you all," sighed out Glynda, but had to admit she was relieved as well.

 **Goodwitch released her hold on them, and the two landed on the feet.**

" **Arc, snap out of it! Your orders were to evaluate Rufus Rose's strength and capabilities!"**

 **Jaune stared.**

" **I've waited ten years for this," said Jaune, "I cannot allow anyone to interfere. Not even you, Superintendent-General Goodwitch."**

 **Goodwitch gripped her crop, but the sound of footsteps stopped her from lashing out.**

" **I know your pride as a Sentinel, but I don't want you to waste your lives here," said a new voice.**

 **A man in spectacles, white hair, with a cane and a fine suit and a green coat followed after Glynda, and the blonde woman stood at attention and saluted to greet him.**

"Professor Ozpin also? Even better," said Weiss in a relieved voice.

 **Jaune growled, but relaxed at the man's presence.**

"… **I see," began Rufus, "So, you are the man behind Jaune Arc. Former general of the Vale Revolutionary Front, now Councilor of the Interior: Ozpin"**

"Councilor of the Interior…?" questioned Ozpin, "No, thank you. Beacon Headmaster is a satisfactory position for me."

"I can imagine the amounts of politicking and paperwork are not appealing at all," said Ironwood.

"Would you take a job that had that paperwork?" asked Ozpin.

"No," chuckled Ironwood.

 **Ozpin stared, and sighed sadly.**

" **I apologize for the crude methods, but I needed to know the full extent of your capabilities," Ozpin bowed with remorse on his face, "Are you willing… May we speak?"**

"… **Sure. I'd like nothing better," ground out Rufus.**

"This ought to be good," growled Yang.

"No offense Mr. Ozpin, sir, but this variation of you is quite dumb," said Penny.

"Oh?" asked Ozpin, more amused than angry.

"Your counterpart must have known that sending a former enemy to 'evaluate' Mr. Rufus would be an affair where one or both parties could die," said Penny.

"I'm sure he did," said Ozping, "However, there is no better evaluation than one where an individual is pushed to their absolute limits. Given how grave he appears, whatever my counterpart intends to ask of Rufus, he must have found the risks to be… acceptable," said Ozpin.

 **Outside the building a battered Russel Thrush shook in his boots.**

" **Holy shit… Councilor Ozpin?" he gasped, "This is way too big. I gotta warn Cardin."**

"Huh… I just realized," said Glynda, "Winchester's position in the council is beneath yours, sir."

"Mr. Winchester works for me? Mr. Thrush is right to be concerned then," said Ozpin.

 **Back in the building, Jaune sighed, and picked up his coat, and the broken piece of the sword still stuck in the floor.**

" **The best duel I've had in years, and now it's a conversation," sighed Jaune as he passed by Rufus, and his group on his way to the door, "We'll have to pick this up at another opportunity."**

"NO!" shouted everyone.

" **You're lucky," said Rufus.**

 **Jaune gave Rufus a wolfish smile.**

" _ **You**_ **are."**

 **Jaune walked to the door, and Goodwitch moved to intercept.**

" **Arc!" she barked.**

" **Reporting…" cut off Jaune, which caught Goodwitch by surprise, "Rufus Rose is useless to us. The Red Reaper though… He shows promise."**

 **Jaune walked out of the building.**

" **That man…" Goodwitch growled, "He's the best spy we have in the force, but I never know what that crazy hound is thinking half the time."**

"He's a spy?" gasped Velvet.

"Hmm… Mr. Winchester is in for a lot of trouble, I wager," said Ozpin.

"Yes," said Winter, "He was quite the braggart, and let loose information that could be damning."

"They were on opposing sides though. Why would he work for the guys who beat him?" asked Ilia.

 **Ozpin cleared his throat.**

" **I have a carriage waiting for us outside. Will you come with us?" asked Ozpin.**

" **Not a chance," growled Rufus.**

 **Ozpin and Goodwitch blinked in surprise, and Rufus took a breath and punched himself in the face. Everyone gasped at what he did.**

"What was that?!" gasped Ruby.

"It's just something that people do sometimes to come back to their senses," said Qrow, "Although, it's the first time I've seen a version that uses a punch."

" **Your actions… have already involved my friends," said Rufus, "You will talk to** _ **all of us**_ **. Here."**

 **Penny watched, and saw that the edge in Rufus' eyes and voice gave way to the calmer, gentler man she was familiar with.**

" **Rufus! You're back!" Penny cried out as she wrapped her arms around him.**

 **And his wound…**

 **Rufus winced in pain, and coughed up some blood.**

" **Eeek! Blake! Help!" cried out Penny.**

" **You moron!" shouted Blake.**

"Death by hugging. That would suck," said Blake.

"…Yeah, totally," said Ruby in agreement, tiredly.

 **The two visitors looked on as the group tried to patch up Rufus.**

" **Councilor…?" asked Goodwitch.**

" **We'll do as he says," said Ozpin, "We need his power now."**

 **Once things settled, and Rufus was bandaged and stable, everyone sat before Ozpin and Goodwitch.**

" **I won't waste time with discretion, so I'll get to the point," said Ozpin, "Mr. Rose, In Mistral, Cinder is plotting…"**

While Team RWBY began to mutter among themselves about the fact the Cinder was involved in another one of these universes, Pyrrha became thoughtful.

"Cinder… again," whispered Pyrrha.

"What do you mean?" asked Ren quietly.

"Just a hypothesis… I need to see a few more things before I can say," whispered Pyrrha.

Ren blinked, but nodded and left Pyrrha alone to her thoughts.

 **In a manor with a "W" on the gate, the light of Cardin Winchester's bedroom was on…**

" **Councilor Ozpin?!" gasped Cardin in his robe.**

" **Yeah! What are you going to do?!" asked Russel, frightened.**

" **So… Arc is Ozpin's dog," mused Cardin, "This is an amazing opportunity! If I can bribe Arc and have him learn all of Ozpin's secrets, I can become the next Councilor of the Interior. Hell, even Council Minister!"**

"Talk about ambition," said Weiss.

"Somehow I doubt trying to bribe Mr. Arc in this universe will end well," said Ghira.

" **Th-This is no joke!" yelled Russell, who began to back away, "You go and mess with Ozpin if you like! I'll head somewhere safe, like Vacuo."**

 **Russel opened the door-**

" **There's a safer place to go than Vacuo…"**

 **A white streak moved, and flashed a light in the room that faded quickly. As it did, Cardin saw white make way for red, and saw Russel's head roll to his feet. Cardin stumbled back and landed on his bottom and looked up to see Jaune Arc with a stern expression.**

" **That place is called hell," said Jaune, who moved his eyes from Russel's body to Cardin.**

"Well, you appear to be right dear," said Kali, who winced at the sight of the head that rolled on the floor.

" **M-Mr. Arc…?" gasped Cardin.**

" **Mr. Winchester…" began Jaune without any of the warmth from their last meeting, "If you think to bribe me, then you've misunderstood one thing. The only reason I, a former Sentinel, serve the Vale Council that toppled my king is to ensure the people of Vale who I swore to protect aren't taken advantage of by blood-sucking ticks."**

"Wait, so he's serving his enemies… to serve the people?" voiced Blake, confused.

"That's… quite admirable, in a way. To remain so dedicated to his oaths as a huntsman," said Winter.

"…I agree," said Ghira, "To stand up to one's enemies is brave, but it takes another form of bravery to reconcile and work with one's adversaries."

"So, forget the past? It doesn't matter?" gasped Ilia.

"Of course not. The past is the foundation for the future. What I'm saying is that Arc has his priorities, and if working with his former adversaries sees to them, then so be it. One should not be afraid to reach across the divide to find solutions to common problems," said Ghira.

 **Cardin backed away in fear as Jaune held up his broken blade.**

" **Ozpin, or whoever it may be… Whoever drowns in their greed and brings misfortune to the people of Vale will see my blade and taste my old brand of justice."**

" **W-Wait!" begged Cardin as Jaune stepped forward, "I can give you money! Power! W-Women…?"**

" **You can tame animals with food, or a man with money… But taming a 'Hound of War…?' That, none can do," said Jaune.**

 **Cardin scrambled to get away, but a blade stabbed through his skull and exited through his mouth.**

 **Jaune twisted the blade quickly.**

 **CRACK**

Everyone winced.

Jerk, or not, it was an ugly death to watch.

 **Cardn went limp, and Jaune let the body fall off his broken sword.**

" **A hound is a hound. A Sentinel is a Sentinel. And a Reaper is a Reaper…" said Jaune with a smile as he wiped the blade, "Isn't that right, Rufus Rose?"**

 **The screen went black…**

…

The lights went up, and Archie pulled out the volume.

"We are what we are," said Raven silently.

"That was a crazy one…" sighed Yang.

"It was heart wrenching to watch," said Pyrrha.

"Are there others…?" asked Ruby.

"I'm sorry?" asked Archie.

"Universes where Jaune fights against us. Are there others?" Ruby clarified.

"As many as there are with you as friends, and all for a variey of reasons," said Archie.

"I don't think I'll like _those_ universes," said Ruby, "Do you think we can take a five minute break before the next one?"

"Of course," said Archie.

 **A/N: So, like I said before, reasons for casting are in the Miscellaneous Notes. Let me know what you think of my attempt at Anti-Hero Jaune? I think I'll do another Kenshin story another time with the events of** _ **Samurai X**_ **, as opposed to the show.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes**

 **In Rurouni Kenshin, the Shinsengumi were referred to as the "Wolves of Mibu." In regards to the Remnant equivalent, the Sentinels, I came up the "Hounds of War." It comes from the phase from Shakespeare's "Julius Cesar" in which Mark Antony cries "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war." I just tweaked the wording a bit.**

 **I was originally going to cast Jaune as Kenshin, with Ruby as Kaoru. However, upon closer examination, I found that Ruby was the better fit for Kenshin, who is the traditional do-gooder hero. I cast Jaune as Saito because unlike Ruby, Jaune is not as rigid in his principles. True Jaune is a good guy, but he's not afraid to bend the rules to fulfill his objectives. I mean, he was willing to risk forgery to get into Beacon, to pursue his dreams. Ruby would never do such a thing.**

 **After looking up historical European sword fighting stances, the closest thing I could find that resembled the Gatotsu attack of Saito was the "Key" stance. It's a thrust technique that can be use to block incoming slashes.**

 **Castle steel is a fictional material that I came up with when I was writing "Team ANVL," one of my other stories.**

 **The "True Comet Strike," is a blend from Jaune's air waves from Season 4, and the Hadoken from** _ **Street Fighter**_ **.**

…

 **Thank you for reading, and please review.**

 **Preview: Blood Brothers – Request**


	19. COD MW3: Blood Brother

**A quick update. Yay! Or not, considering some of the content in this one. I just hope it doesn't feel rushed. I was actually going to publish sooner, but I wanted to finish my other** _ **RWBY**_ **story "Team ANVL" first. So I delayed it…**

 **Okay, so when I did the Black Ops chapter, a reviewer of mine pointed out that the escape was weak because I boiled it all down to one sentence. Here, I took a little more time, and threw in more details, so we'll see how it goes.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3**_ **is the property of Activision.**

 **Modern Warfare 3 – Blood Brother (DragonKing015's Request)**

"I don't see how you can still go along with this. He hurt you," said Tai.

"He didn't hurt _me_ , dad. He hurt a version of me, who was a guy," insisted Ruby, "That's like the total opposite of hurting me."

Tai still looked unconvinced, and Yang stepped in.

"Look, dad, you saw Ruby get hurt and you're going all Papa Bear. Trust me, I get it; I would too," began Yang, "But I know Jaune. He would never, ever lay a hand on Ruby, let alone hurt her. You trust us, right?"

"I do…" said Tai.

"Then trust us when we say that who you saw was not Jaune," said Yang, "In fact, if you met Jaune, _we_ would have to be the ones to keep _you_ away from him. There's only so much dork we could handle."

Tai blinked, and looked away with a sigh.

"Fine… If what you say is true, I promise not to kill him if I see him outside this place. Not immediately, anyway," said Tai.

"Dad!" groaned Yang and Ruby.

Penny then approached with candy bars, and more popcorn.

"Greetings," said Penny, "Mr. Archie is wondering if you are feeling better."

"Yeah…" said Ruby, who blinked at the snacks overflowing from Penny's arms, "What's with all that?"

"Well, after we finished that delicious popcorn, I wanted more. Then I got curious as to what a candy bar tasted like, and the refrigerator just had so many to choose from," said Penny.

"Well, looks like you're going to need help with some of that," chuckled Tai, who picked up a roasted peanut chocolate bar that fell to the floor.

"Well, since Ruby's fine, let's not keep Archie waiting," said Yang, who grabbed a crispy rice cocoa bar from Penny.

The four returned, and saw that everyone was waiting for them.

"Are you feeling better, Ms. Rose?" asked Archie.

"Yeah," said Ruby, "Just needed a moment to gather myself is all."

The four sat approached the couch, some of the audience rearranged themselves so that they could all sit together.

"So, what's next?" asked Ruby, who got some popcorn.

Archie held up a volume, and slid it in…

"Let's find out," said Archie.

…

 **On the roof of a hotel, Jaune sat on one of the towers. He had blonde stubble, a rifle and pistol, and wore brown, green, and black camouflage, along with a matching hat, a combat vest with ammo pouches, and brown combat boots.**

"Soldier-Jaune," said Nora.

"Older soldier-Jaune," said Coco, "Love the stubble, by the way.

"It does make him look more… grizzled," said Pyrrha.

"Oh yes…" said Velvet.

 **Jaune grabbed and pulled his radio, which hung off a holder on his vest.**

" **Alpha One, radio check, over," he said into his radio.**

" _ **Bravo One, copy. We're dug in with line of sight,"**_ **said Ren.**

"Ooh! Ren's a soldier too…" said Nora, before a devious thought entered her mind, '…in uniform, too, I bet.'

" **Right, Amitola's our eyes and ears inside the hotel. Once she gives us the nod, we'll kick this off," said Jaune.**

 **They waited as the light of the sun began to glow in the horizon…**

"I'm in this one?" asked Ilia.

"You appear to be working with Jaune and Ren in this," said Blake.

"I wonder what they're doing?" asked Velvet.

"This appears to be either an ambush, or more likely, a stealth operation of some sort," said Ironwood.

 **The sun was already a third of the way over the peaks in the distance**

" **What do you see?" asked Jaune.**

" _ **Not a thing, Jaune. Looks like Adam's late to his own funeral,"**_ **said Ren.**

"Adam? Are Jaune, Ilia, and Ren up against the White Fang?" asked Blake.

"Yes," said Archie.

"I don't like Adam, but why am I helping humans fight my brethren?" asked Ilia.

"In this universe, there is a civil war of sorts on Menagerie," said Archie.

"A civil war?" gasped Blake.

"Yes," said Archie, "The White Fang are the military wing of a faction that pushes for Faunus supremacy, while the rest of Menagerie just wants a peaceful coexistence with the rest of the world. The two factions are wrestling for political dominance at the moment."

"The White Fang was founded to fight for equal rights in a legal and civil manner," objected Ghira.

"Some hear 'fight,' and take it literally," said Winter.

Ghira clenched a fist, and growled.

" **Sit tight until we get a clean shot. Then you can put as many rounds in him as you like," said Jaune.**

" _ **It'll only take one,"**_ **said Ren.**

"Huh. On second thought… after what Adam did to Blake in that other universe, I don't think I mind working with those two anymore," said Ilia.

"I'd have no problem whatsoever, either," said Sun.

"Same," said Yang.

Blake shuddered at the memory of getting stabbed.

 **A bullhead flew overhead, and Jaune slinked into the shadows cast by the morning light.**

" _ **It's almost time, Blake,"**_ **said Ren over the radio,** _ **"The meeting will be on the second floor."**_

" _ **Affirmative. Setting sights on the balcony,"**_ **said Blake.**

"Looks like Blake's pitching in too," said Yang.

Blake didn't know how to feel about that. On the one hand she was all for stopping Adam's plans, but actually killing him…? Blake wasn't sure if she could be prepared for that. A part of her hoped there was still a chance to reason with him, but the logical side of her told her that he was too far gone.

Until she saw irrefutable proof of one, or the other, she found herself locked in a perpetual, mental stalemate.

 **Jaune heard the roars of engines in the distance, and he kept low and out of sight from the bird in the air. Soon enough though he heard tires against the road and move around the ground below him.**

" **Head's up, Taurus's convoy is arriving now," said Jaune.**

" _ **I see it,"**_ **said Ren,** _ **"Four armored vehicles. No visual on Taurus yet."**_

 **Jaune crouched, and snuck along the shingles as he waited for Ren to give him an update.**

" _ **They're stopping in front of the hotel,"**_ **said Ren.**

" **Do you see him?" asked Jaune.**

"… _ **Yes. There's the bastard. Third vehicle,"**_ **said Ren,** _ **"Shit. I think he's looking right at us."**_

" **Easy," reassured Jaune, "Just sit tight."**

"They should call it off…" said Blake.

"He didn't see anything, otherwise he'd send some baddies there way," said Ruby.

"…Maybe," Blake said, but was not so sure.

"… _ **They're pulling into the garage now,"**_ **said Ren.**

" **Okay, Amitola. You're up," said Jaune into his radio.**

 **Jaune began to move, and made his way to the edge of the roof.**

" **Amitola, do you read me?" asked Jaune.**

" _ **She probably forgot to turn it on,"**_ **said Ren.**

"That's not right…" said Blake, immediately tense.

"Maybe the radio ran out of battery," said Velvet.

"Or it was set to the wrong frequency?" added Ilia.

"Before an operation like this?" asked Blake, incredulous of the suggestions.

Every one of the students and Ilia started to get nervous.

" **Doesn't matter," said Jaune, "Taurus is here. We move forward with the plan."**

 **Jaune climbed, and hung onto a small, decorative tower above the hotel's clockface.**

" **I'm in position. Ready?" asked Jaune as he took out mirror, and flicked in within the rays of the morning sunlight.**

"… _ **We got you,"**_ **said Ren over the radio.**

 **Jaune moved to secure a rappel line, and once he was sure it wouldn't budge, he put his back to the square, wrapped the line to his waist and leaned back.**

" _ **We've got some activity in the balcony…"**_ **said Ren, and Jaune stopped just before he took the last jump to attack,** _ **"Take them out together, Blake. On you."**_

 **Jaune saw the two flashes in the distance, and looked down to see two White Fang grunts on the balcony drop.**

 **Jaune rappelled and landed hard on the balcony. He removed the line, drew his rifle, and breached into the room. He took out a White Fang grunt before the guy could face him, and a second one with two shots in the chest. Several more came into the room, but before they could flank him, they dropped as soon as the sniper rounds from Ren and Blake shot off.**

"Nice shot," said Yang, "You two are almost as good as Ruby."

"Almost…" added Ruby.

"Sure." "Hmm…" said Blake and Ren respectively.

"Mr. Arc was quite efficient in clearing out the room," said Winter.

"Argh! This is one of my old proposals playing out," growled Ironwood, "I told the higher ups years ago that the Specialist could be supported by some of our best troops in operations. With support soldiers, the specialist could complete missions more quickly, and have a better chance to come home in the event of injury. But they didn't listen."

"It would make missions easier," mused Winter thoughtfully.

"You're in charge of the army now. Can't you do it?" asked Qrow.

"I need the approval of other council members to form a majority, and they think the Specialist are fine enough on their own," grumbled Ironwood.

"There's also the issue of non-aura protected soldiers fighting alongside the specialists," said Glynda.

"Vale's military pulled it off all throughout the Great War. I don't see why Atlas would have a hard time emulating their example," sighed Ironwood.

 **Jaune got up, and approached a set of double doors. Before he could reach them though, they opened and revealed-**

" **Ilia?" asked Jaune in shock.**

 **His comrade was bound to a chair, with beatings and bruises around her face and ribs. Dried blood trailed down her chin form her mouth, and from her nose.**

"Oh no…" gasped Blake.

"Fuck," said Ilia.

"She was found out," gasped Kali.

" _ **What the hell? Jaune, who is that?"**_ **asked Ren.**

" **Amitola," said Jaune angrily, 'The bastard knew.'**

" **I'm sorry, Jaune," said Ilia.**

" _ **Captain Jaune,"**_ **said a new voice on the radio,** _ **"Hell awaits you."**_

"Adam…" growled Ghira.

 **Suddenly, a red light blinked at Ilia's hip, and Jaune made a run for it.**

" _ **Jaune, get out of there!"**_ **said Ren.**

 **BOOM!**

"A bomb?! That's it! Other universe or not, the next time I see Adam, he's dead!" growled Ilia.

"I'll help," said Sun.

Ilia nodded to Sun, who returned the nod.

 **Elsewhere, Blake reeled back at the sight of the explosion that took out the whole floor.**

"Jaune…!" gasped Pyrrha.

"Well, this was a short one," said Raven.

"It's not over yet! The screen would have gone black if it was done," said Pyrrha.

" _ **Blake, my love, you never should have come here,"**_ **said Adam on her radio.**

Ghira, Kali, Sun, and Ilia frowned immediately upon hearing "my love."

" **What the hell's he talking about?!" asked Ren.**

 **Before Blake could say, or do anything, the same a beep and red light filled the room.**

" **Get out! Now!" said Ren who pushed Blake through the hole in the wall, and leapt after her as they narrowly escaped the explosion.**

"The sniper area as well?" gasped Winter.

"Taurus would have had to know in advance the exact spot," said Ironwood.

"The Adam I left in Forever Fall was overly-cautious. To booby trap a possible hiding spot for an assassin… This is pure paranoia," breathed out Blake.

"That, or the girl must have broken when they interrogated her. Or, possibly was a double agent the whole time," said Raven.

"I would never!" shouted Ilia.

 **Blake and Ren, fell down and hit part of the building, and some scaffolding helped break their fall and kept the plummet from turning fatal. But the world around her became a hazy, ringing, and painful. Blake saw Ren covered in some debris, and she reached out to try and help him.**

"Ren, no!" cried out Nora.

"That… does not look good," said Ren, who winced at the sight of his counterpart covered in debris.

"Well, at least the scaffolding broke you guys' falls," said Tai.

" _ **Ren!"**_

 **Blake saw a silhouette in the dust and debris, and Jaune broke through the dusty clouds, turned in the direction he came from, and fired into the distance.**

"See! He made it!" said Pyrrha triumphantly to Raven.

The bandit just rolled her eyes, but continued to eat her popcorn from before.

 **Jaune fired off a couple of rounds, and turned to Ren, and hauled the debris off of him. Jaune rolled him over, and took a good look at him.**

" **Look at me! You're alright!" said Jaune before he turned to Blake, and pulled her up.**

" **Blake!" he said, and the dazed faunus snapped to, "Grab him, we need to move now!"**

 **Blake moved over to Ren, lifted him up, but noticed a puddle of blood. Still she foisted him onto his shoulder; she couldn't do anything to patch him up in the situation they were in.**

" **Jaune, his wound reopened," said Blake.**

"Wound?!" gasped Nora.

"Did something happen?" asked Pyrrha with worry.

"Probably in an earlier operation," suggested Ren.

"He should have been taken off the mission for medical attention, then," frowned Ironwood.

" **Shit," said Jaune, who then shot a White Fang grunt attempting to flank them, "We need to get to the safe house."**

" **Blake… Taurus… He said…" slurred Ren.**

 **Jaune led the two through the street, and fended off White Fang grunts. They took cover where they could as tracer fire, and rockets tore through the air.**

"I'm guessing this is one of those universes without aura," said Weiss, worried.

"No Grimm, no aura, yes," said Archie.

"It makes you wonder what non-huntsmen go through in a firefight like this," said Tai.

"Yes…" said Ironwood, "It's part of the reason why the Atlas council pushes for more automation in the military: to save lives."

"You do realize that if those machines ever turned on you, you'd be screwed, right?" asked Qrow.

"Atlas has numerous anti-virus programs to prevent such an event from occurring. I should know," said Penny.

"Fine. But _if_ it does happen, don't say I didn't warn ya," said Qrow.

"Noted…" said Ironwood.

" **Don't stop! Keep moving!" shouted Jaune over the gunfire.**

 **Jaune flipped a switch and grasped a pump near his rifle's muzzle. He pumped it, pulled the trigger, and a grenade shot out and took out a machine gun position. Jaune looked back to the other two, and saw that Blake tripped, and dragged Ren with her. Ren coughed up more blood, and when she looked up, Jaune grabbed her hand and pulled her up. He pulled the pin off a grenade and threw it into the direction of their enemies, and thick smoke began to spew from the canister.**

" **We can't stay here. C'mon this way!" he said as he ushered them toward a building complez.**

 **The bullhead from before flew overhead, with machine guns on the nose that rotated toward them.**

" **We have to get off the street!" Jaune yelled.**

 **Jaune pumped his rifle's grenade launcher again, and blasted open one of the walls of a nearby building.**

" **This way!" shouted Jaune, and Blake followed him into the building.**

 **Jaune checked each room they passed for enemies quickly as he led the two into the offices, and then exited into an alleyway.**

" **Set him down," said Jaune as he got to a door in the alleyway.**

" **Just patch me up. Get me back in this," said Ren, in pain.**

" **It's not safe here," said Jaune to Blake, not hearing Ren, "We have to move."**

 **Jaune gave Blake his rifle, and hoisted up Ren over his shoulder.**

" **We need… Neon… get us out…" said Ren.**

 **Jaune kicked a door open.**

" **That bullhead's circling back around! We have to move!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Jauen tried to help Ren, but the wounded man tripped and fell.**

"He's slowing them down," pointed out Raven.

"He's not leaving Ren," growled Nora.

"He's dead weight. Do you risk all three lives for the sake of one?" asked Raven.

"They **aren't** leaving Ren!" shouted Nora.

"Nora…" Ren grasped her shoulder, and gave a reassuring squeeze.

Nora huffed, and settled down.

" **Come on, Ren! You can make it!" said Jaune as he helped his friend up, "Blake, take point and cover us."**

 **Jaune pulled out a pistol, and Blake got in front of them. They went through a storage room, and exited into china shop when the White Fang grunts approached.**

" **Blake, clear the store! We need to get the hell out of here!"**

 **Blake opened fire and took them down with precise burst shots to the chest and head areas to ensure swift kills. Given the sheer numbers of troops Adam was throwing, Blake's efficiency was essential.**

"I knew Menagerie had a capable military, but I didn't realize they were on par with Atlas' military," remarked Ironwood.

"Menagerie?" asked Ghira.

"Your daughter's uniform," said Ironwood.

Blake, Ghira, and Kali stared for a moment. Blake was wearing the uniform of the Menagerie Self-Defense Forces.

"Yes, well, we aren't pushovers general," said Ghira with a chuckle, "Although, I'm not sure anyone in our militia could fight _that_ well, at least, not yet."

Ghira had thought about expanding the military in Menagerie, as a means of charting the inner desert, and expanding and colonizing into some of the unclaimed archipelagos that were around their island continent. Seeing Blake fighting as well as she did, made him think about some of his older plans for Menagerie.

 **In the few instances Blake missed one, of they got too close for his comfort, Jaune backed her up with his pistol where he could. Because of his experience and weapon's training, he took out the enemy with one shot to the head, or two to the chest if he didn't have time to aim. The last grunt dispatched, they exited onto the street where more White Fang grunts fired upon them.**

" **We're moving up to the statue!" said Jaune, who pointed to a memorial statue in the center of a courtyard.**

 **Jaune laid Ren down at the statue's base, and fired upon the approaching enemies alongside Blake with deadly accuracy.**

" **On the roof… Right side!" Ren yelled.**

 **Blake turned, and shot a marksman before he could position himself. The bullhead from before then moved over the same roof, and soldiers rappelled from its bay onto the roof, and Blake laid suppressing fire until the airship itself opened fire. The three quickly scrambled to some cover to avoid being shredded by the torrent of bullets.**

" **Argh!" cried Ren in pain as he clutched his wound.**

" **We can't stay here!" said Jaune, "C'mon, this way."**

 **Jaune ran through the rain of bullets, and kicked in a door in a nearby building, and Blake picked up Ren and followed. Blake handed off Ren to Jaune and took point again, and moved through the building as quickly as possible. When they exited the building, Blake gestured to get low, and Jaune saw that enemy soldiers had begun to stream into the area.**

"That's a lot of troops for just three people," said Velvet.

"I know Special Forces are good, but isn't that overkill?" asked Ruby.

"Not at all," said Ironwood, "A single huntsman, for instance, is worth a hundred soldiers, if you look at the statistics. As we've seen so far, the charts are correct."

"That, or Adam is as vengeful as ever. He does like to send 'messages' after all," said Blake.

 **Blake and Jaune looked to one another, nodded, and prepped and tossed a grenade each. Jaune then rose up along with Blake and opened fire on the soldiers, who were shocked and disrupted by the explosion of the grenades as well as the nearby cars in the area that had also exploded. The ambushed thwarted, the two made quick work of the stragglers.**

 **Jaune carried Ren, and followed Blake through the streets.**

" **Adam said… COUGH-HACK!"**

" **Don't talk, Ren. Save your strength," said Jaune, who scanned his surroundings with his pistol in hand.**

 **Two armored cars drove onto the road.**

" **Shit," Jaune quickly holstered his gun, and reached for – "Damn, I'm out of grenades. Blake, tell me you can still use the launcher!"**

" **I got it! Just keep Ren safe," said Blake.**

 **Jaune got to cover, and he heard the pops of the grenade launcher go off. He checked his spare ammo magazines in his vest.**

" **Two pistol spares left, and no grenades… Better conserve…" he muttered.**

 **Blake opened fire on three soldiers once their vehicles went up in flames. She took down two with a headshot each, but when she aimed for the third, the man ducked before she could land a shot. She held the trigger a little longer when she heard the click that told her the magazine was empty.**

" **Jaune," said Blake, "Do you have any spare ammo?"**

" **Last one!" shouted Jaune, who tossed her his last rifle magazine.**

 **Blake caught it, reloaded.**

 **CLAK-rrrrl…**

"Eek! Get away," squealed Ruby.

"Ruby!" yelled Weiss, with her ears covered.

"That was quite a high decibel level," said Penny, also with her ears covered.

"But… They don't have aura…" stammered Ruby as she pointed at the screen.

 **Blake saw a grenade had been thrown in their direction, and lunged for it. She grabbed it just enough for a secure hold, and tossed it back. The moment it landed it went off, and the last enemy rolled to the side and groaned in pain. Blake aimed the rifle, shot the man twice in the back, roughly where the heart would be, and the man's cries of pain ceased.**

" **Clear," said Blake.**

" **Thanks," said Jaune, as he pulled Ren and himself to their feet.**

 **The three moved quickly and cut through a building. When they exited, a car pulled up, and three more enemy soldiers exited. Before two of them could get the weapons ready, Blake already aimed down the sights, and took them both out with burst shots to the chest. When she turned to the third, she froze for a moment because the third was poised to fire. A shot cut into the man's head, and he dropped. She turned to see Jaune with a smirk.**

" **You're welcome," said Jaune.**

"Oh, thank goodness. I was worried there," said Kali.

"That's Jaune. Having a friend's back when it's needed…" said Pyrrha.

"You know, if you actually picked up from that training session you had with him, maybe this could be a good team up, Blake. I could even come up with a team attack name," said Ruby.

"Maybe…" said Blake.

 **Blake nodded, and the three moved again through the streets. As they passed near the fresh corpses, Jaune gave Ren the pistol, and picked up one of the enemy's rifles.**

" **They'll just keep coming," groaned Ren painfully.**

" **Don't stop, keep moving," said Jaune.**

 **Bullets whizzed from behind, and Blake turned and opened fire at their rear before moving back to the duo.**

" **Just leave me, Jaune!" groaned Ren.**

" **No!" shouted Jaune angrily, "I'm getting you out of this!"**

"Yeah! No man left behind!" nodded Nora.

"He's getting worse…" pointed out Ren.

"He's not leaving you. Not there, and not ever," said Nora firmly.

"Nora…" said Ren.

Pyrrha put a hand on Ren's shoulder.

"That's final," said Pyrrha.

"…Thanks, guys," said Ren with a smile.

 **Jaune turned to Blake as he and Ren hobbled.**

" **The safe house! Head for the building to the northwest!" he pointed, "Cover our six."**

 **Blake nodded, and fell back a step, and laid suppressing fire. It became a skirmish of Blake firing and killing just enough of their pursuers, and retreating back to Jaune and Ren's positions to give them cover. There was a choke point set by two wire fences, and a car nearby. Blake took cover, and waited for the enemy to cluster near the choke, and she opened fire on the car. The car burst into flames, and the enemy soldiers were blown back.**

"That should hold them for a while," said Coco.

"And the safe house is near," said Winter.

 **As Blake ran back to the two afterward, she heard the sound of an engine in the air.**

" **Jaune! Enemy armor!" shouted Ren.**

 **Jaune ignored Ren, and the three finally arrived at the building.**

" **We made it, Ren! Just hold on!" said Jaune.**

 **Jaune set Ren down upright, behind some cover, and readied the rifle he picked up from earlier.**

" **Shit, they're here," said Jaune as he saw the White Fang troops approach.**

"Safe house's compromised," said Qrow.

"The situation is getting worse," agreed Glynda.

 **The two fought back against the waves of enemies. The armored truck that Ren mentioned rolled up, and Blake switched to the grenade launcher function on the rifle. As Blake lobbed the explosives, Jaune heard movement from behind. He turned around and saw people in civilian clothing with weapons of their own.**

" **It's the resistance!" shouted Jaune, relieved.**

"That's a relief," sighed out Pyrrha.

"The cavalry is here!" said Nora.

"I never really got that saying until now," said Penny.

"Help is help," said Ruby with a shrug.

" **Blake! We need to move Ren! Get over here and cover us!"**

 **Blake fired one last grenade upon the armored vehicle, and it blew up. The vehicle out of the way, the resistance set up a perimeter, and opened fire on the enemy.**

" **We've got wounded!" shouted Jaune to one resistance fighter, "Get him inside."**

 **The fighter nodded, and got one of his comrades to help him lift up Ren while Blake supported the perimeter fighters in holding back the enemy. Once Ren was secure, the fighters moved, and Jaune tapped Blake on the shoulder.**

" **Let's go! Let's go!" he shouted.**

 **The group staged an organized retreat into the building complex as they shot down the last enemies in the immediate area.**

"Do you think that bought them some time?" asked Ruby.

"Not a lot," said Ironwood, "A good pursuer would use the destruction, and start the search from there.

"Given the frequency of their assaults in this pursuit… Five minutes, at most," said Ozpin analytically.

 **Once inside, Ren was carried through the halls, and Jaune led them to a living room area where they saw Neon Katt.**

"That's Neon from our fellow Atlas team, Team FNKI," said Penny.

"Her clothing is a lot less… colorful in this universe," said Ironwood.

"Given the severity of this universe, it makes sense," said Glynda.

" **Neon, clear the table!" Jaune ordered.**

 **Neon got several fighters to get any important stuff, before Neon pushed everything else off. Jaune went Ren's side and looked him over, and Blake joined him shortly after she set her rifle to the side.**

" **Jaune… Blake…" gasped Ren.**

" **Not now, Ren. Just rest," said Jaune who turned back to the room, "Get a medic!" he faced Ren again, "C'mon, stay with me Ren."**

 **Jaune scrambled to find anything clean that could stop Ren's bleeding.**

" **Jaune…" groaned Ren, who grabbed Jaune's wrist, "You need to know…"**

 **Jaune stopped and leaned in.**

" **Adam… ugh… knows… Blake," said Ren.**

 **Ren sighed his last breath.**

Pyrrha gasped, and covered her mouth in shock.

"NO! Ren!" cried Nora.

"After all that…" whispered Pyrrha.

Nora wrapped her arms around the real Ren.

"Nora, I'm still here…" said Ren, who patted her back in an attempt to relax her.

" **No… no, no, no, NO!" Jaune shook Ren's body, "REN! NO, no, NOOOO!"**

" **Jaune!" said Neon, who went to his side, "You have to go, now!"**

" **GET OFF ME!" roared Jaune angrily, as Neon touched him.**

 **Neon recoiled, and Jaune turned back to Ren's body and put a hand on his friend's chest. Jaune closed his eyes, and took a breath. He got the pistol in Ren's holster, and laid it on his friend's chest.**

" **I'm sorry…" whispered Jaune, before he got Ren's dog tags.**

" **They're here! Duck!" shouted Neon, who pointed out the window.**

 **They ducked as gunfire tore through the windows.**

"Get out of there, Jaune!" shouted Ruby.

"They're surrounded though," said Weiss.

"Even if the enemy is there, they are still in a defensive structure. It should hold for a time," said Winter in a reassuring manner, "Furthermore, a safe house usually has a means of escape, in case it's compromised."

" **Jaune! This Way!" shouted Neon.**

 **Blake followed Jaune, and the two were led to a door.**

" **Blake, open it!" shouted Jaune, as he fired at the enemy with his pistol.**

 **Jaune saw her open the door, and he moved. He grabbed Blake by the shoulders, turned her, and punched her in the face.**

"What?!" growled Ghira, Kali, Ilia, and Sun.

 **Jaune saw Blake tumble down the stairs into what was evidently a basement, and he closed the door behind him, leaving them both alone. He went down the stairs, pistol at the ready.**

" **Ren trusted you," growled Jaune.**

Blake tensed at the tone in Jaune's voice.

"Ren's last words…" said Pyrrha, with fear.

"Oh no, it's just like the last one," shuddered Ruby.

 **He cocked his pistol.**

" **I thought I could to," Jaune added.**

Blake gulped.

 **Jaune knelt by Blake with a knee pressed against her chest. The pressure made Blake whine in pain, but that was silenced, but the pistol muzzle against her forehead.**

" **So, why** _ **the fuck**_ **, does Adam Taurus know you!" he shouted.**

The audience was silent at the sheer venom in Jaune's voice. Blake's heart began to hammer.

"One wrong word, and it's over for her," said Raven.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," said Qrow.

" **I…" gasped Blake, "I was young… and patriotic… when I first met Adam…"**

…

" _ **Blake, wake up," said Adam.**_

 _ **Blake groggily face Adam from the back seat of their car, and Adam looked on in amusement from the front driver seat.**_

" _ **Sienna wouldn't want you to miss this," said Adam.**_

 _ **Blake looked out the window, and saw Sienna Khan in a trench coat with a large burly man with brown skin, brown wild hair, in a drab green army uniform.**_

"Hazel…?" gasped Ozpin.

"Another operative of Salem…" growled Ironwood.

"Did you guys say something?" asked Ruby.

"N-No…" said Ozpin.

Raven did hear, and she rolled her eyes.

"Typical…" she muttered.

" _ **This deal will generate millions for our cause," said Adam, "Money can buy many things. Even power. The road to the future begins here, my love."**_

 _ **BANG-BANG**_

 _ **Blake saw a human drop dead, and Sienna's arm get blown off.**_

" _ **Sniper!"**_

"What caliber of rifle is that?" asked Pyrrha, shocked.

"50 caliber, at least," said Ruby.

 _ **Sienna ran back to the car, and as soon as she got in, Adam floored it…**_

…

 **Jaune lifted his knee a little.**

" **You were there?" asked Jaune.**

" **When you… blew Sienna's arm off? Yeah," said Blake as gasped for more air, "Sienna… never forgot… what we did for her that day. Our reward… was power… But power, corrupts."**

"How true…" said Ozpin.

"Yes. Those with power can be quite corrupt, especially those who've held onto that power for _so long_ ," taunted Raven.

Ozpin frowned at Raven.

…

 _ **Blake followed Adam up the stairs out of the safe house they were in. She turned with Adam to see the resort town, Oasis, in the Vacuan desert.**_

"Oasis… That's the worst I've seen it," said Sun.

"Didn't we go there for vacation, one year?" asked Weiss.

"We did… You got sunburned," said Winter.

"Oh… now I remember," said Weiss, embarrassed.

 _ **There were sounds of gunfire and aircraft emanating from the city, and some jets flew overhead their position away from the settlement.**_

" _ **Today, we show the world the true strength of the White Fang. Perhaps this demonstration shall give you some strength as well," said Adam.**_

 _ **There was a ring, and Adam pulled out his scroll and placed it by his ear.**_

" _ **Is everything ready?" he asked, "…Do it."**_

 _ **Adam pocketed his scroll, and both Blake and he looked once more at the city.**_

 _ **There was a flash in the city, along with an intense wave of heat. Dust and debris tore through the streets, and air craft began to rain from the sky. As a pillar of fire, glass, dust, and ash, and a tsunami of sand tore through the streets, and Blake's ears could pick up the sounds of screams and suffering.**_

Everyone's jaw dropped, even Raven broke out in a cold sweat.

"What was that?" asked Ruby.

"A bomb," said Archie.

"Y-You mean a bunch of bombs, right?" asked Velvet.

"No," said Archie, "I meant _one_ bomb. Accumulate enough fire dust, and mix it with a variety of explosive agents and you can get a bomb powerful enough to level a whole city."

"Wait… The White Fang and Torchwick stole dust for months…" gasped Weiss.

"You're not suggesting…" shuddered Pyrrha.

"Unlikely. I read the reports from the Vale PD," said Ironwood.

"I did as well," chimed in Ozpin, "Not just fire dust was stolen. Dust from all elements were taken. Furthermore, a large estimate of it was used in The Breach to help break past the barriers that separate Vale from the tunnels of Mountain Glenn."

"And the rest of it…?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin and Ironwood shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"How reassuring…" said Raven flatly.

" _ **Understand, Blake," began Adam, "This is only the beginning."**_

 _ **It was only the orange light from the explosion that prevented Adam from seeing just how pale her face had turned…**_

…

" **Thousands of souls… Extinguished by the push of a button," shuddered Blake, as tears appeared in her eyes.**

 **Jaune kept the gun to her head, but his grip on the pistol loosened.**

" **It was no longer about proving the strength of faunus, or respect… It was madness…" said Blake.**

…

 _ **In a dark parking structure, Blake struggled against her former comrades, who now held her down by the arms.**_

" _ **I know what you have done, Blake. I know what you have told them," said Adam as he stepped out of the shadows.**_

" _ **Adam please, don't do this! This is wrong! Our people are there also…" pleaded Blake.**_

Blake's eyes widened at her counterparts words.

"What's he planning?" shuddered Kali.

 _ **Adam smiled gently…**_

" _ **My friend. My lover…" he started.**_

 _ **Adam's smile turned into a sneer.**_

" _ **My betrayer."**_

 _ **Blake's heart plummeted.**_

" _ **What happens here today will change the world forever. Nothing can stop this. Not even you," he said.**_

"We'll see about-" growled Blake.

 _ **Adam pulled out a pistol and aimed at her side.**_

 _ **BANG.**_

Blake was stunned…

"He shot her… Asshole…" Sun growled.

"We agree, it seems," said Ghira in a frighteningly level voice.

"I can't believe it…" shuddered Blake.

 _ **Blake's body stilled, and she was shoved to the ground by the ones holding her. Blake struggled for air, and Adam's feet came into view… and he stepped over her**_ **…**

…

" **He shot you?" said Jaune in a level voice**

" **Yes, but I woke up to the sound of our radio…" said Blake, "At first, I didn't understand why he didn't take it off me. In retrospect… he probably knew I'd live… and that I'd hear the chaos and try to stop him.**

…

 _ **Blake pulled herself into an elevator, and pushed herself upward to sit upright against the elevator wall. She pushed a series of buttons, all of which went up, but was relieved that the floor she needed to go to was one of them. She closed her eyes for a moment and collected her breath…**_

" **Remember. No faunus…"**

 _ **BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!**_

 _ **Blake's eyeshot open at the sounds of a machine gun and screams. Her head whipped to the sounds where saw the elevator's open door, and she saw people running in fear and terror. Blake willed herself and crawled, and only just made it before the closed. She stumbled, and froze in horror once she looked up.**_

 _ **Bodies… Islands of clothed flesh among a sea of thick red.**_

 _ **Countless bodies littered the floor. Human, Faunus, women, children, it didn't matter. They were all dead and strewn about, or piled upon one another.**_

Everyone watched the scene in horror. Ruby and Penny had tears in their eyes. Yang, Blake, and Winter growled furiously. The adults, even Raven, were stunned speechless by such wanton murder. Velvet, Sun, and Ilia turned green, but it was Weiss who said it perfectly.

"Sick… That's… just sick…" gasped Weiss.

What more was there to say?

" _ **Agh!" Blake cried in pain and gasped for air.**_

" _ **They saw us, quick! Ru-"**_

 _ **BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!**_

 _ **She looked up and saw bullets tear through the body of a woman with a mouse tail that tried to run. She held something close to her, but her immediate collapse prevented Blake from seeing it.**_

" _ **Karen!" a human man ran for the fallen woman.**_

 _ **BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!**_

 _ **The man fell dead next to the mouse girl, and Blake kept low to avoid detection. It was at that moment that the downed woman began to move.**_

"She's alive?" Blake gasped out.

"Not for long…" said Kali with sorrow in her voice.

 _ **Blake crawled, with the hopes of helping, but to her shock, it was not the woman that moved. A little boy with mouse ears who was covered in blood crawled from under the woman. His eyes were wide, and he shook, and looked around confused. Then he saw the man and woman that had just been killed.**_

Blake, Velvet, and Ilia openly wept at the sight.

" _ **Daddy… Mommy…?"**_

Kali began to cry, and Ghira held her close.

 _ **Blake felt her world crumble.**_

" _ **The bad man's not here…" the boy shook his mom to wake up, then he crawled to the man, "We can go…"**_

Tai pulled his own daughters close, who too began to cry.

 _ **Blake's eyes stung, and her breath hitched as she watched the little boy try to wake up his parents…**_

" _ **D-Daddy…?" he cried, "M-M-Mommy…? Wake up… Please… wake up…! Please… Please wake up!"**_

 _ **As the child wailed, Blake clenched her fists as the tears streamed down her face and onto the floor. Rage now boiled in Blake's heart, and she looked around as the tears continued to fall. She saw a dead security guard, and made for his gun holster. She pulled out the pistol, and with a hand on her own gunshot wound, got up and limped after the noise of gunfire. She pushed herself to go faster, ignored the alarm of the metal detector she went through, and she could see one of the bastards that gunned down so many.**_

 _ **Before she could fire though, she felt her lungs act out and she coughed up blood, before she collapsed.**_

" _ **No… I have to… I have to stop them…" gasped Blake.**_

 _ **The world went dark…**_

"Is that the direction the Fang is heading toward?" asked Ghira, solemnly.

Ilia did not have the heart to answer.

"…Yes. The Vale chapter under Adam's leadership, at least," said Blake.

Ghira looked ready to tear something apart, but it was only Kali's distress that kept him from lashing out. He instead took a breath, and wrapped his wife with his arms.

 **Blake looked up at Jaune, who stared blankly at her.**

" **When I came to… I was in a hospital cuffed to the bed. I escaped though, and ran into the shadows and reflected on… everything after that," said Blake.**

"… **So, after you looked in the mirror, what happened? What did you see?" asked Jaune, curious but wary as well.**

" **A stupid little girl who lived in a bubble. Humans have hurt us for so long, I just accepted them as monsters without a second thought," Blake bit her lip, "Seeing that family though… The little boy who wept for his parents… I realized something: we, faunus, were equally capable of becoming the monsters."**

"Sienna… would never allow such an act," said Kali, though she sounded uncertain.

"No, she wouldn't," said Ilia, " _That_ … That was too much. No sane faunus would endorse that."

"Yet, the faunus remain silent," said Raven.

The faunus in the audience rounded to her.

"I'm not totally out of the loop, I know some of current affairs. If any of my… associates stepped out of line against my wishes, I would punish them, harshly. A simple, but powerful reminder of who's in charge. What have 'respectable' faunus done in response to the White Fang?" said Raven.

"I walked away, and stopped several operations with my friends," shot Blake.

"Good for you, but that's easy for you to do; you're a huntress-in-training. What about those who are not so strong, the faunus population at large," said Raven.

"They…" Blake trailed off.

Blake hesitated, and Raven pounced.

"They're what? Scared? Weak?" asked Raven, "Are they so fearful of how they'll be perceived that they'll remain silent, or make excuses for them and themselves."

None of the faunus spoke.

"If you're not willing to take command of the conversation, or reign in the extremes of your own people, don't complain and moan when those same elements speak on your behalf, or act in your stead," said Raven.

Blake flinched at the words, as did the other faunus in the group.

"Since when did you become a wise sage?" growled Qrow.

"Since these fools keep whining about how shocked they are, or that the faunus aren't 'like that,' yet they do nothing to stop it. It's irritating," scoffed Raven.

 **Jaune stared.**

" **I was a soldier of Menagerie, not a butcher of innocents. In Adam's eyes, this marked me as the enemy," said Blake, "As one who helped Adam for all these years… I have to make it right. For faunus everywhere, but most of all, for myself. I must stop the monster I helped create. Whatever it takes."**

"See, _she_ has the right idea," said Raven.

Blake turned thoughtful, as did her father.

 **Jaune looked down at her, her face still in his sights.**

"… **Okay, Blake," said Jaune, who grabbed her arm but still held the gun to her. He lifted her up onto her feet, "You've bought yourself some time… for now."**

 **Blake sighed in relief.**

Everyone did, except Raven.

" **So, what's the plan…?" asked Blake.**

" **First. We get the fuck out of here," said Jaune, who holstered his pistol.**

" **Alright. Then what?" asked Blake.**

" **Then… Then we kill Adam," said Jaune.**

"… **Sounds like a plan," said Blake with a nod.**

…

"That was… I thought the last one was bad, but that…?" shuddered Ruby.

"All those people… dead," said Weiss.

"It makes you wonder who the real monsters in this world are: Grimm or people," said Qrow.

Archie put the volume into the return slot, before he got the next one.

"Well then…" began Archie, "How about another break before the next one."

"Sounds great… This one made me feel a little ill," said Velvet.

"Yes, same for me," said Ghira, who then turned to Raven, "But… it's also given me much to think about."

"Dad?" asked Blake.

"Harsh as your words were, I… I think I needed to hear them," said Ghira, who gave a nod to the Branwen woman, "So… Thank you."

Raven for the first time since she got here, was at a loss of how to react.

 **A/N: Our poor audience. First anti-hero Jaune, followed by Makarov Adam. Will they see a happy Jaune story ever again? Yes, just not anytime soon.**

 **What do you think of "wise" Raven? Out-of-character? Out of the blue. I'm not sure why, but I figured it was something that needed to be said, and Raven was the only one with the balls to say it to people's face. I don't know…**

 **Let me know how I did with this chapter in the reviews.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes**

 **Why use Neon Katt? Because "Resistance Leader" from the game was too bland.**

 **If I recall my old thoughts on Volume 2 correctly... I suspected that the dust Torchwick stole was used to blow a hole in Vale's defences during the Breach, and used by the White Fang in their attack in Volume 3. I could be wrong though.**

 **The direction I took with the family in the "No Russian" scene, was inspired by some of my fears during the post 9/11 era. I was in my teens at the time, and I still remember the fear within the airports in those days. I remember the dogs and soldiers that would patrol the terminals, and just how thorough TSA was too. Scary times…**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: Inuyasha**


	20. Inuyasha: Good Boy Pt 1

**Some people are wondering if I would put Jaune in the Archive to watch with his friends. While I've seen a few reaction stories where that happens, the answer is "No." There is a very good reason why Jaune is in no way going to set foot in the Archive. You'll have to find out at the end of this story… or in an intermission… You'll see…**

 **Anyway, onto more important things… This one has some pretty complicated themes, and it's long enough that I divided it into two parts.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Inuyasha**_ **is the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

 **Chapter 20 – Good Boy: Part 1**

Archie pulled out the next volume as everyone returned from either the kitchens, or, for those who were sickened by the flashback of Blake in the last viewing, the bathrooms. It was almost lunchtime in the Archive, at least according to the window illusion and the clock, and there was time for two or three more viewings before then. As such, everyone only had light snacks, and drinks, since lunch was bound to be a heavier affair.

"So… What's next?" asked Blake.

"An alternate Remnant," said Archie.

"What a surprise," said Qrow sarcastically.

"One where magic is still widely practiced," added Archie.

"Magic never existed in Remnant," said Weiss.

Ozpin, Ironwood, Glynda, and Qrow began to sweat, while Raven burst into laughter.

"What?" asked Weiss.

"Magic exists, you just need to know where to look," said Raven.

Weiss and her friends began to talk excitedly, and Raven cast a glance to Ozpin and Qrow. The two gulped, and unbeknownst to them, Winter noticed the look.

"I suppose seeing is believing," said Archie.

Archie slipped in the volume, and the lights went down…

…

 **There was a commotion in a forest in rural Sanus, near a village and shrine.**

" **It's Jaune Arc! Look out!"**

 **A large net shot out from the forest, and was torn apart from within. The creature within turned out to be a young man with long black hair, with a black gambeson jacket, and blue trousers. What made him stand apart from other boys though, were his bare feet, hands with sharp nails, longer canines, and the pair of dog ears and blue eyes.**

"Whoa, is Jaune a faunus?" asked Nora, "He looks pretty good with black hair."

"It does make him look… edgier," said Pyrrha.

"I like the faunus features," said Yang, "It gives him a more… primal look. No offense, Blake."

"He could pounce on me any day," said Velvet before Blake could say anything.

Blake nearly choked on her water.

"Before you begin… fantasizing, perhaps you should pay more attention," said Weiss as she pointed to the screen.

 **The young man, Jaune, merely smiled cockily as he descended from the air, and he relished the fear in people's eyes. Villagers with lassos, and spears with ropes slung their weapons into the air with the hopes of capturing him, but Jaune merely spun midair and brushed off their weapons.**

"Wait, is Jaune a bad guy in this one?" asked Sun.

"Worried he'll stab you again?" asked Raven.

Pyrrha, Ruby, and their teams flinched at the suggestion, as everyone else sans Raven got uneasy.

"Yeah, but not just me. Any of us," said Sun.

 **Jaune leapt about until he arrived at his destination: a shrine. He crashed through the roof, and there, surrounded by braziers burning incense, was a stone. It was a ruby, blood red in color, hanging from a silver chain. It was cut such that even a small amount of light made it glow a multitude of colors. Jaune covered his nose to dull the smell of the incense, and moved to claim his prize. He plucked the gem from the stand, and his blood pumped.**

" **This power… It's incredible!"**

"That gem," began Ozpin, "There's something… wrong with it."

"What do you mean?" asked Glynda.

"I think it's pretty," said Nora.

"Some of the most dangerous things in the world are beautiful. Something tells me that that gem is very dangerous," said Ozpin.

It somehow almost reminded him of the grimm.

 **The shrine doors burst open, and Jaune turned to see spears hurtle in his direction. He ducked, and beat back a few, which knocked down one of the braziers. He leapt through the roof, and the sudden influx of oxygen made the building erupt in fire.**

" **Hah! That will teach you!" crowed Jaune, "With the Grimmstone, I can use its power to become a full-blooded grimm!"**

"A full-blooded what?!" gasped everyone, though Raven was intrigued.

"What does that mean?!" asked Winter.

"This will take some explanation," began Archie, who paused the viewing, "In this universe, the Creatures of Grimm evolved differently, and have a unique line of development. Like in your universe, grimm become more powerful with more time and experience. However, sometimes, instead of just simply becoming more powerful and getting bigger, in this universe a grimm can develop unique capabilities, or even alter their forms to suit their needs or stature."

"Unique abilities?" gasped Ozpin and Glynda.

"Yes," said Archie, "A grimm's abilities are developed along with intelligence and power, especially if the Grimm becomes an alpha, for instance."

"So… How is Jaune half-grimm?" asked Ruby.

"His father was a grimm with the ability to shapeshift into a human form, a sign of his stature, intelligence, and strength. His mother was human," said Archie.

"How could turning human be a sign of stature?" asked Pyrrha, intrigued

"Grimm are chaos incarnate. Agents of destruction, and strife," began Archie, "To turn human for the grimm here is a sign that they transcend, and restrain such impulses, not that the vast majority of them are interested in such a power. Instead they opt to simply grow bigger and stronger.

"Why reject such an ability if it's a sign of stature?" asked Winter.

"Each ability a grimm gains has its own strengths and weaknesses, much like your semblances. In regards to the ability to shapeshift into a humanoid form, such a power comes with a multitude of possibilities a grimm may not be prepared for. While it could seem like an ability that could allow them to prey upon humans easier, such a power bestows upon them a conscious.

"A conscious?" gasped everyone.

"Impossible! That implies the existence of the soul within the grimm, and everyone knows that the grimm are soulless," said Ironwood.

"By nature, yes. Which is why in this universe, few grimm of intelligence pursue such a power," said Archie, "The sudden exposure a conscience can be quite maddening. Most that survive the shock tend to ignore it, just like some humans, and bear it as a necessary evil in their own pursuit for strength. Others though become curious enough to explore the new possibilities before them, and experience things such as joy, pride, sorrow… even love."

"Love?" gasped Weiss.

"Then are you suggesting that Jaune's grimm father… _loved_ his human mother?" asked Blake.

"Yes," said Archie, "Though, even among grimm that can turn human, such unions are frowned upon and seen as weakness. After all, a great alpha such as Jaune's father, loved the human he fell for so much that he exacerbated a fatal wound to rescue his beloved, and ensure the successful birth of their son."

"Grimm capable of love… That's so… so…" began Pyrrha.

"Awesome!" shouted Nora.

"Still pretty weird," said Ruby.

"It's a lot to get your head around, that's for sure," said Tai.

"Now then, let's continue," said Archie, who waved a spell and the scene continued.

 **Jaune landed, and ran toward the forest from the shrine grounds. Escape was in his reach…**

" **JAUNE ARC!"**

 **Jaune turned to see in the distance, a glint of light.**

 **THUNK**

 **Jaune had been shot midair, and pinned to an oak tree by an arrow with a shining, silver aura.**

"Jaune got hit!" gasped Pyrrha.

"All those arrows and spears from their earlier attacks barely touched him. What makes this one different?" asked Coco.

"Perhaps the arrow was imbued with a spell," said Ren, "Archie said there is magic in this world, and that arrow has a light shining around it.

"Well, that makes sense," said Sun.

 **The Grimmstone slipped from his hands, and he tried to grab it. However, it was out of reach, and it fell to the ground. He reached for it longingly when he saw a shadow in the distance. Jaune looked in the direction and saw a beautiful woman with a bow and quiver.**

" **Rosaria…" Jaune gasped.**

 **The woman had milky white skin, and wore a modest white robe with a woven sash that wrapped around her waist. She had long flowing black hair with soft streaks of rose red, concealed by a white veil that was draped and tied in place at the base of her hair. What stood out most to Jaune though were the angry silver eyes as she held her stance from the release of her bow.**

"Whoa… she looks likes Ruby," said Yang.

"It must be the eyes," said Weiss.

"She looks so cool!" squealed Ruby.

"She shot Jaune!" protested Pyhha.

"Automatic bad guy!" added Nora.

"But, Jaune is pretty villainous in this one," pointed out Blake.

"…Point taken," sighed Ren.

 **His hand moved from the jewel to her.**

" **R-Rosaria… why? I thought…" Jaune gasped out, and hung limp to the tree.**

 **Rosaria saw this, and relaxed herself.**

" **Ugh…" she winced in pain as her bow fell from her hands.**

 **Blood dripped from a wound in her shoulder as Rosaria trudged to the stone gem, and collapsed near it. She picked it up with baleful eyes as the villagers from before gathered to her side.**

"She's injured," pointed out Winter.

"You think Arc hurt her on his way to the jewel?" asked Qrow.

Jaune's team gulped a little.

 **Among them was a little girl with blonde wavy hair that ran down her back, and sea green eyes.**

"Wait… is that….?" Began Ozpin.

" **Sister!" she cried out.**

" _ **Lady Rosaria!"**_ **cried out a villager.**

" _ **She's badly wounded,"**_ **said another.**

" **Sister… How did you get hurt?" asked the little girl.**

" **A… moment of weakness, Glynda," said Rosaria.**

"That's me?" gasped Glynda, "How am I her sister? We look nothing alike."

"Adopted?" suggested Tai.

"That's… possible," said Glynda.

" **Because of me, this has happened," Rosaria beheld the jewel in her hands, and looked at it with hate, "All for this… The Grimmstone."**

 **Rosaria winced in pain, and little Glynda came to her aid.**

" **Sister! We must tend to your wound!" she cried out.**

 **Rosaria shook her head.**

" **It's too deep. I am beyond saving," dismissed Rosaria, "Listen to me, Glynda. Take the Grimmstone, and burn it with my body. It must never fall into the hands of evil-doers."**

 **Rosaria body suddenly began to shake, and her breathing became uneven.**

" **I… will take it with me… to the other world…" Rosaria gasped out.**

" **Sister? Sister!" Glynda cried.**

 **Rosaria collapsed and lay dead, a saddened expression upon her face.**

" **Sister!" cried Glynda.**

"Well that sucks," said Yang.

"It is a shame," said Glynda, "I want to know more about this 'sister' of mine."

"Oh… Sorry, but I was talking about how we have a kind of 'bad guy' Jaune in this one," said Yang nervously.

"Of course…" Glynda sighed.

"But that's important too!" added Ruby.

"Yeah!" said Yang.

"It's alright, girls. I'm not that heartbroken; it's merely a matter of curiosity," said Glynda.

 **Just then, the scene changed to amodern setting. An old shrine with a thousand year old oak tree stood out among the tall modern buildings of downtown Vale.**

"Wait a moment. A city?" asked Weiss.

"How did that happen?" asked Blake.

"Maybe all that stuff happened in like, the distant past," said Sun.

"An interesting suggestion," said Ozpin.

 **There a girl with short black hair with rose red tips in a sweater and skirt walked into house for the caretakers of the shrine complex. As she did a little black corgi ran up to her and begged for attention.**

"That's me!" said Ruby.

"Ooh! Zwei is in this one!" gushed Weiss.

"Yay…" groaned Blake.

"Blake, dogs aren't so bad," said Kali, before she gave her daughter a teasing smile, "Don't prove the stereotypes."

"I can't help it!" stated Blake.

" **Hey, Zwei! Oh, were you waiting for me? That's a good boy," said Ruby in baby-talk as she knelt to rub the family pet.**

" **Ah, Ruby, there you are!" said an elderly man.**

" **Grandpa York," greeted Ruby.**

"Old York?" gasped Tai, Qrow, and Raven.

"Grandpa?" gasped Ruby and Yang.

 **An elderly man in a white sweater and blue jeans with greying hair and silver eyes looked kindly at Ruby as he knelt next to a set of boxes.**

"Wow, I haven't seen York in ages. He's a lot older here," said Qrow.

"That's your mom's father," said Tai to Ruby and Yang, "He was one of the best hunters of his generation. Your mom talked stories about him, and our team, STRQ, made quite a few more with him when we were undergoing our Senior year apprenticeships."

"Oh, wow!" gushed Ruby, "What was his weapon?"

"A shotgun that turned into a halberd," said Raven, "He once skewered four boarbatusks, while shooting a beowolf that came at him from behind."

"While drunk," laughed Qrow.

"In his boxers!" added Tai.

Even Raven couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

"I would have liked to meet him…" said Ruby wistfully.

"Well, you could use the Archive viewing as a vehicle to accomplish just that, Ruby," suggested Penny.

"Good idea, Penny," said Yang.

" **Come here, little one, I have something to show you," said York.**

 **Ruby walked over to the boxes, with Zwei close behind, and saw her grandfather take out a small trinket. It was a keychain with a blood-red plastic ruby, dangling off a gold-plastic strip with a girl's name painted on it. She knelt next to him, and handed it over.**

" **Behold, the Grimmstone!" the elderly man declared.**

"The gem Jaune tried to get?" asked Ilia, confused.

"A plastic rendition of it," said Winter.

" **The Grimmstone?" asked Ruby, confused.**

" **Yes, an ancient gemstone of incredible power. It was said it had the power to grant wishes, and eternal happiness," said York.**

"Eternal happiness? Tell that to woman who died stopping Jaune from getting it," muttered Pyrrha.

" **This is the new merchandise for the shrine you were going on about?" questioned Ruby skeptically, "Grandpa, keychains are out of style. I don't think even Mistral tourists would buy this."**

" **The gem at the end is the Grimmstone!" insisted York, "This shrine is-"**

 **Jingle-Jingle…**

" **Huh?" said York.**

 **Zwei was sniffing the keychain in Ruby's hand. The red plastic gem bounced cutely against its nose, before Ruby lifted it a little. Zwei ran in a circle playfully as it panted in delight of the game Ruby made the keychain into.**

"Awww…" said all the girls, but Blake and Raven.

 **Ruby finally realized her grandpa was talking to her, and he looked up from Zwei and saw the pointed expression on his face.**

" **As I was saying…" said York as he cleared his throat, "The Grimmstone-"**

" **Arf… rnng… arf!" barked Zwei, who had now gotten on his hind legs in an attempt to jump for the stone.**

 **Zwei failed, landed cutely on his butt, and rolled back onto his legs.**

"AWWW…" they gushed, but Raven and Blake rolled their eyes.

" **The Grimmstone-!" tried York.**

" **Oh, grandpa, do remember what tomorrow is?" asked Ruby.**

 **York sighed, before he let out a small chuckle.**

" **Of course! How could I forget my little rosebud turns 15 tomorrow," said York kindly.**

"Lucky," snorted Qrow, "York always hated being interrupted."

"Unless you were Summer," scoffed Raven, "She got away with it while we got stuck with grueling chores."

"You're just jealous because Summer didn't have to mop," said Tai with a triumphant smirk.

"You had to clean his kitchen. I think I got off easy," said Raven.

Tai's smirk warped in a funny direction.

" **Yay!" cheered Ruby, "Did you get me a present?"**

 **York laughed happily.**

" **Of course, my dear. Just don't tell your mom. Birthdays are probably the only thing she's a stickler on when it comes to rules," said York as he got up, and got a box from behind the larger ones with their newest products.**

 **York handed Ruby the small parcel, and she opened it excitedly.**

"I wonder what he got me. Ooh! What would grandpa have given me if he was with us…?" gushed Ruby.

 **Ruby's face fell immediately, and she pulled out a shriveled ball on a string. The ball was actually a mummified head, whose lips had long since vanished and revealed small teeth. The eyelids were shut tight, and the hair felt suspiciously synthetic.**

"…" Ruby was speechless.

"Is that a shrunken head?" gasped Velvet.

"York always was quite the character," chuckled Ozpin.

"That's a man's head!" said Sun.

"That's nothing. You should have seen the 'Doll Room," said Raven.

Qrow and Tai immediately paled, and began to sweat.

"Doll Room?" asked Winter.

"You know, now that I think about it, Summer and York's home was a little…" trailed off Tai.

"Creepy…" said Qrow, "The Doll Room was this big room filled with porcelain dolls from Solitas. You know, the kind before the war with the creepy, unblinking eyes and frufru outfits."

"Wasn't there also a mummified hand?" asked Tai.

"The one Summer put on your face while you were asleep?" asked Raven.

Yang quietly watched her father shudder at the memory.

'What happened to you guys…?' she thought to herself.

Seeing their grandfather, for she considered Summer her mother, had triggered… something in the three adults. It felt as though she was watching her dad, uncle, and blood-mother from a different time.

A happier time.

" **This authentic shrunken head is rumored to bring happiness to the one who holds it, as well as ward off evil spirits. In fact, it's origins…"**

" **Here, Zwei," said Ruby, who rolled the head along the floor like a ball.**

" **WAH! That's an antique!" cried York, as Zwei ran after it.**

"NO!" cried out Ruby, "That's a gift from grandpa!"

"Don't tell me you liked it," said Weiss, aghast.

"Well… it was kind of cute…" said Ruby.

Tai, Qrow, and Yang went pale at the thought.

"But, it's more than that. I never knew grandpa… I just think my counterpart should be more appreciative, you know?" clarified Ruby.

Tai and Qrow couldn't help but look at Ruby with sadness.

"…I see," said Weiss, her own, old thoughts about her grandfather, with nothing but Klein's stories and make-believe scenarios in her youth, came to mind.

" **What's this?"**

 **The two, and Zwei, looked to see a beautiful woman with black hair with rosy highlights, a black blouse, white sweater jacket, and brown skirt wrapped in an apron.**

" **Oh… hey mom," said Ruby.**

"…Mom?" Ruby and Yang gasped.

"Summer…" gasped Tai.

Qrow, and Raven stared at their teammate, or rather their teammate's counterpart, as well. Qrow downed his alcohol harder than he normally would. Raven's fingers twitched for her sword, eager for a spar or a fight, whichever suited her.

" **Dad? Why is there a shrunken head in the house?" asked Summer.**

" **Oh… I was, um, showing Ruby one of the new merchandise items for the gift shop," said York nervously.**

"… **We're selling shrunken heads now?" asked Summer.**

" **Heh-heh…" chuckled York nervously.**

" **Well, come on then, it's time for dinner," said Summer.**

" **Okay," the two said in response.**

"That's Summer. She always knew how to get things done, or get people to move," said Qrow.

"She was a… worthy leader," said Raven, with some effort.

 **The two followed summer into the dining room, and suddenly a noise maker with some confetti went off.**

" **Surprise!" said a little blonde boy with violet eyes.**

" **Yang…?" gasped Ruby.**

"Wait, that's me! Guy-me!" yelped Yang, "But… huh?"

"Is something the matter?" asked Archie.

"Dad, and Raven hooked up and had me. Then dad _married_ Summer, and had Ruby! How did this happen?" said Yang.

"Did I…? I didn't two-time… did I?" asked Tai, fear in his voice and eyes.

"No," said Archie, who paused the viewing.

Tai and Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

"It was a surrogacy arrangement," said Archie.

"…What?" asked Tai and Raven.

"In this universe, Ruby's birth had… complications that affected future pregnancies. However, you and Summer both wanted two kids. Raven had little interest marrying, but was good friends with Summer," said Archie.

"So my counterpart just offered herself…?" gasped Raven.

"It was little more complicated than that… but ultimately the arrangements were made with Summer's blessing," said Archie.

"Huh…" thought Tai.

Raven blinked at the information.

"Raven visits a few times a year to check up on Yang, and to connect. The two are fairly close," added Archie.

"Well, lucky him…" said Yang bitterly.

"And where is Tai Yang in this?" asked Raven angrily, "I don't see him anywhere."

"…Car accident," said Archie.

That ended all talking.

"But, this world has grimm! Dad's a huntsman!" objected Ruby.

"Keep watching, Ms. Rose, all will revealed," said Archie who resumed the viewing.

" **What…?" gasped Ruby, "Mom, Yang, what is this?"**

 **Summer giggled.**

" **I decided to switch things up. Happy birthday, dear," said Summer.**

 **Yang brought out a cake with 15 candles, and put it on the table while York helped his daughter with the presents. When the family gathered around, Summer set up a camera with a timer, and got in the shot with the rest of her family. Once the picture was taken, Summer pushed the cake closer to her daughter.**

" **Make a wish!" she said.**

 **Ruby closed her eyes, took a breath, and blew out the candles.**

"It's like the reverse of how we grew up…" said Yang.

Ruby went over to Tai Yang, and hugged him.

"Ruby…?" asked Tai.

"I love you, dad," sniffled Ruby.

Tai pulled Ruby in, and stroked her back like he used to.

"Me too, Ruby. Me too," he whispered softly.

Yang went over as well, and Tai pulled both his girls in for a hug. Out of the corner, Raven stared at the trio with a complicated expression. After a moment longer than she would have normally stared, Raven scoffed, and looked back to the screen.

 **The next day, Ruby was dressed in her uniform for Signal High School: a simple white blouse, with a black skirt, and a red sweater vest. She got her school bag, and made her way to the door.**

" **I'm going now," called Ruby.**

" **Wait, Ruby," called Summer, "You have a phone call!"**

 **Ruby ran over to the phone.**

" **Hello? Oh, hey… Thanks for the birthday greeting, Weiss… Eh? The review notes? Sure, I'll bring them… Uh-huh… Right… Okay, see you soon!" said Ruby before she hung up.**

"Am I in this?" asked Weiss.

"Exchange student," said Archie.

"Oh, well that explains how I'm in Vale," said Weiss.

 **She ran back to her room, got a binder, and went downstairs.**

" **Bye, mom!"**

" **Bye, Ruby. Have a nice day!" said Summer.**

 **Ruby ran out the house, and past the old oak tree on the shrine. However, before she left the shrine grounds, she saw Yang in one of the smaller buildings with a plaque that read "Bone Well."**

" **Huh? Yang?" asked Ruby.**

" **Sis…" called back Yang who had some dog jerky in his hands.**

" **You're not supposed to play around here," said Ruby.**

" **But Zwei ran in here. I've been trying to coax him out with some jerky, but he's not coming out," said Yang.**

" **He went into the hidden well?" asked Ruby as she put her bag down, and went just past the door.**

"It must be odd seeing your younger sister as the older," said Winter.

"Not really…" shrugged Yang, "Ruby could do it… As long as she doesn't see cookies."

"You're just mad that I'm taller for once," muttered Ruby.

"Just wait till my counterpart hits puberty. I'll reclaim my rightful spot," said Yang.

"Girls… enough," chuckled Tai.

 **The hidden well was a dark room with an elevated platform that went down to a patch of dirt with an old circular, stone, dry well. The well had a wooden well cover bound with a silver chain with a talisman upon it that was held in place by wooden pegs in the well's sides.**

"What's with the well?" asked Nora.

"It almost looks like a gate that's locked," observed Ren.

"Pretty flimsly lock," said Velvet.

"Maybe it's a magic lock," suggested Kali.

" **Zwei!" Ruby called.**

" **I think he's in the lower level by the well," said Yang.**

" **Why don't you go down," asked Ruby as she squatted to Yang's level.**

" **This place gives me the creeps. Besides, grandpa says that there's a monster locked away in there. A grimm!"**

" **A grimm? Really? Don't tell me you believe in that old fairy tale," sighed Ruby.**

"Fairy tale?" gasped everyone, though Raven's eyes simply widened.

"Yes. Humanity's influence is such that grimm have either been killed off, or simply gone into hiding. As such the need for huntsmen and huntresses have died off as well. They are nothing more than old tales now," said Archie.

"So, I guess I never was a huntsman. That explains how a car accident could… Well, it explains it," said Tai.

"That would probably make me, us, normal people too," said Ruby.

" **Quit being a scaredy-cat! Man up, and go down," said Ruby.**

 _ **Scitch…Scratch…Crich…**_

 **Yang tensed immediately, and ran behind Ruby.**

" **Did you here that? T-There's something** _ **down**_ **there!" shivered Yang.**

" **Yeah, the dog," said Ruby as she rolled her eyes.**

 **Ruby got up, and went down the stairs.**

 _ **Scitch…Scratch…Crich… Scitch…Scratch…Crich…**_

 **Ruby was on the dirt area around the well when she froze. The sound was more intense now.**

" **Wait… is that from inside…?"**

"Inside the well?" gulped Pyrrha.

"That must be what the talisman is for," voiced Ozpin.

 **CLACK**

" **Eek!" Ruby jumped back from a sound, and closer to the well.**

" **Aak!" shouted Yang, who fell onto his bottom, "Wait… Zwei?"**

 **The little black corgi plopped down on his bottom with tongue hanging out, and playful eyes looking up at Ruby. Ruby sighed out, and scratched Zwei's ear.**

" **You scared me! Don't scream so loud, Sis!" cried out Yang.**

" **Watch it! I'm down here because** _ **you're**_ **scared!" shot back Ruby.**

"Don't worry, little Yang. Big Sis Ruby will keep an eye on you," said Ruby playfully as she glomped Yang.

"Oh please. I'm not going to accept that from the girl who though Uncle Qrow's sweater was a monster in the closet," laughed Yang.

"Hang on! That sweater was in tatters…" said Qrow.

"Yeah, about that…" began Tai with a nervous chuckle, "Ruby… 'slayed' your sweater."

Qrow shot Ruby a blank stare.

"I'm sorry!" squealed Ruby.

 **Scitch…Scratch…Crich…! Scitch…Scratch…Crich…!**

 **Yang looked down when he heard the noise from inside the well, and something flashed through the seams of the wooden boards that were nailed to the well's opening. A moment later the silver chain and talisman was yanked by an unseen force and snapped into pieces. Before Ruby could turn around, the covering boards were ripped apart and several hands shot out from the well, and dragged Ruby into the depths from behind.**

"What is that?!" shrieked Kali.

"What's going on with the creepy hands?!" yelped Ruby.

" **SIS!" screamed Yang.**

 **Ruby was shocked. She knew she was in the well, she could see the round opening as she descended. Yet instead of falling, it felt as though she was floating down a current as ethereal lights floated around her. Suddenly, she felt her body turn at the behest of whatever held her. She gasped with fright as she came face to face with a pale six-armed topless woman with an unblinking stare, and long ebony hair. The woman smiled, her canines long and sharp. Ruby saw that all six hands that held her were attached not just to the sockets of her shoulders, but also the sides of her body…**

"Wait… Yang's words. That's a grimm?" asked Blake.

"Different development patterns. Remember?" pointed out Ren.

"Ugh, look at the part below the waist. It's so creepy," gagged Nora.

 **Ruby gasped.**

 **The woman had the upper body of a human, but everything below was a long, serpent-like skeleton.**

" _ **Such joy!"**_ **the woman crowed with a distorted voice as she looked at her tail,** _ **"I can feel my strength returning! My body is coming to life again."**_

 **Ruby heard a squirming, skittering noise, and saw flesh begin to grow around the skeletal part of the woman's body. The growing flesh around the bones began to become more square-like and then harden and segment. The bottom was like shining black obsidian, but the sides and top became like ivory, and soon insect like legs began to sprout from the sides of each segment.**

" **It's like a centipede…" gasped Ruby.**

"A cenitspear, most likely," said Ozpin.

"Those are rare and dangerous grimm," said Glynda.

"A centispear?" asked Ruby.

"They're found in the deep forests of Sanus, or in the caves outside Mountain Glenn. They are highly aggressive, and one of the few known grimm that need to eat. They are so violent and temperamental that they will attack other grimm as well," said Ozpin.

 **The woman's gaze rounded back to her, and she gave a cold analytical stare before revealing a toothy smile.**

" _ **You have it, don't you? Don't you?"**_ **she asked as her long tongue snaked out of her mouth, and licked Ruby's cheek.**

"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" shuddered Ruby in disgust.

" **Ugh! Let go! You're disgusting!" Ruby screamed.**

 **She shot her hand out to push the freakish woman away, and the moment, her hands came in contact with the monster, her eyes glowed briefly, and a silver light flashed from her hands. The monster was immediately repelled, and one of the arms that held onto Ruby was torn off from the body.**

"Whoa, how did I do that?" asked Ruby.

"Oz… Is that her eyes?" asked Qrow in a whisper.

"Yes. The powers of the silver-eyed warriors…" confirmed Ozpin in a low voice, "It's been ages since I've seen them so potent."

"Didn't Summer have them?" asked Glynda quietly.

"Not to this extent…" said Ozpin, just as quiet, "York died before he could teach Summer the more powerful techniques."

"Yet Ms. Rose can in this universe. She must have abundant raw power," said Glynda in a whisper.

 **The monster looked up in fury as the she saw a pale red light behind glittering silver.**

" _ **You little…! You won't escape from me! I will have the Grimmstone!"**_ **shrieked the centipede woman as she descended into the apparently infinite darkness.**

" **Grimmstone?" asked Ruby.**

"Grimmstone? Does, Ruby have the stone?" asked Blake.

"There was a red light similar to the stone," said Pyrrha.

"But how?" asked Ilia, confused.

"Magic?" suggested Ghira.

"Wow, it's so easy to explain stuff with just 'magic," said Nora.

"Too easy, if you ask me," said Weiss.

 **Suddenly, Ruby felt her body right itself up, and she felt something beneath her feet: solid ground. However, the shock of what had just happened to her kept her from meeting solid ground properly, and she collapsed onto her hands and knees. Her breathing was ragged, and heart hammered as she caught her breath.**

" **Am I…" she looked around, and then up, "Am I inside the well? Was that a dream?"**

 **Ruby saw something out the corner in her eye: a torn arm.**

" **Nope. Not a dream!" shuddered Ruby, "I've got to get out of here!"**

 **Ruby scrambled to her feet, and made a megaphone out of her hands.**

" **Yang! Are you there? Get gramps!" Ruby called.**

"…"

" **Yang?" Ruby called again.**

"…"

" **That kid! Don't tell me he ran away!" huffed Ruby.**

"Never, and if I did, it would only be to get help," said Yang.

 **Fortunately, there were some vines in the well that ran to the top, and she used those to climb.**

"Wait, there wouldn't be any vines in the dark building the well was in," said Winter.

"Indeed," said Penny, "While vines are hardy plant life, without routine photosynthesis, they would die off or be too weak to sustain a person's weight for climbing," said Penny.

 **Midway up though the climb, Ruby heard something.**

 **Chirp-Cheep… Tweet-Tweet…**

" **Songbirds?" Ruby asked herself, "They aren't loud enough to sing over cars…"**

 **She climbed up again higher and higher until she got to the top. She pulled herself out over the top, and was stunned. There was no shrine, or buildings. There were no cars on the ground, or planes in the sky.**

" **A forest?" she asked herself, "Where is this…? W-Where's the shrine… The city?"**

"Where's Vale?" gasped Ruby.

"It looks almost like the place in the beginning," said Weiss.

"I… this is just a thought, but I think that well was a gateway of sorts," said Ren.

"A gateway?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yeah!" declared Nora, "You know how Ruby was falling, but not falling, and there were those shiny lights. Ruby must have travelled through a portal of some kind!"

"It sounds like a science fiction story," said Blake.

"Or a fantasy…" said Penny.

"Ooh, that sounds amazing!" squealed Ruby.

 **She got out, and walked around the well in a circle.**

" **Grandpa! Yang! Mom!" she called, "Grandpa! Yang! Mom!"**

 **No answer.**

 **Ruby gulped and walked away from the well.**

" **The shrine is gone… Wait!" she said, a look of hope on her face, "The Old Oak!"**

 **She saw the oak tree of her family's shrine in the distance. She ran toward it with a happy face.**

" **What a relief! I'm almost home!" she declared with certainty.**

 **Ruby brushed away some bushes, and she beheld the tree-**

" **Huh?" she blinked in surprise by what she saw.**

 **There was a boy with long black hair, a black gambeson jacket, and blue trousers held to the tree by roots that had somehow wrapped around his body and held him to the trunk.**

" **A boy?" said Ruby.**

"Jaune!" gasped Ruby and Pyrrha.

"Look at those tree roots," pointed out Coco, "He must have been there for a long time."

"He looks so young still," said Glynda.

"He's half-grimm. It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't age as much or as quickly as human do," said Raven.

 **The boy appeared to be asleep, and Ruby decided to get some answers. She climbed on one of the roots that held the boy fast to the trunk, and made her way to him.**

" **Um… Hey! What are you doing?" Ruby asked in a friendly voice.**

 **The boy did not answer. As she got closer, she noticed something on his head.**

" **These… aren't human ears," she said in wonder, "Is he a faunus…?"**

 **Ruby stared a little… then reached for the ears with her hands. She tugged them lightly, and began to flick them around playfully.**

" **Wow, they're like Blake's… So soft and fluffy…" she gushed.**

Blake and Velvet stared, a little disturbed by the sight. Both faunus then felt a chill, and turned their heads. Blake saw her team look at her curiously, and Velvet saw Coco with an evil smile.

"No…" said Blake.

"Coco, don't. Or your favorite scarf will get a new, unattractive accessory," warned Velvet.

"BOO!" cried Ruby and Coco.

 **Ruby then paused and let go.**

" **Maybe I shouldn't be doing that. Blake would get upset if she saw," said Ruby.**

"Exactly," said Blake.

"Yes, they aren't toys," said Velvet.

"Not even a little…?" asked Ruby.

"You have Zwei," said Blake flatly.

"Blake just doesn't you to hear her purr," giggled Kali.

"Mom! I do not purr!" objected Blake.

"Oh yes you do. Especially when you were five," said Kali, who whipped out a scroll.

"Really?" asked Weiss, Yang, Ilia, and Sun as they looked interested in the scroll.

"NO!" Blake cried as she made for her mom.

" **You there! What are you up to?"**

The small wrestling match between the Belladonna women was interrupted by the viewing.

 **THUNK-THUNK-THUNK**

 **Before Ruby turned around several arrows sank into the tree around her and the mysterious boy. She nearly fell off the roots she stood on, but managed to stay there by hanging onto the boy's gambeson jacket. Ruby turned around and saw that several villagers with bows and arrows crowd around her.**

" **Um… hi?"**

"I hope my counterpart isn't in too much trouble," said Ruby.

 **Ruby found herself tied up in the middle of a village just outside the forest, where a bunch of people, crowded around and whispered amongst themselves.**

" **Hey! Why am I tied up?" Ruby yelled.**

"It appears you're in trouble, Ruby Rose," said Winter.

"No! What did I do?" yelped Ruby, "I demand a lawyer."

"They don't exist in this period, I bet," sighed Weiss.

" _ **A girl in strange clothes."**_

" _ **Is she a foreigner?"**_

" _ **You think a war is coming?"**_

" _ **Just before planting? Damnit, we're short-handed enough as it is."**_

"Life must have been hard for people back then," said Kali.

"It's actually the same in our time as it is in theirs. The only difference is that they don't have the modern conveniences that our time has," said Raven, "Same shit, different day."

"How do you know?" asked Kali.

"I'm… familiar with farmers," said Raven coyly.

"Right… Familiar," said Qrow, sarcastically.

"You are too, dear brother," said Raven.

"…Yeah," grumbled Qrow.

" **Tunics… Tunics… They're all wearing tunics… and the girls are all wearing medieval dresses," Ruby muttered thoughtfully, "What is this? The Vale Historical Society?"**

" **Make way for High Priestess Glynda," announced a man.**

"High Priestess…?" asked Glynda.

"You appear to have gone up the ranks," said Ozpin.

"Well done," complimented Ironwood.

 **A portly woman with wrinkled skin, an eyepatch, and a bow she used like a cane emerged from the crowd, and made her way over to Ruby. She wore white robes, and had her grey wavy hair in a bun.**

"You seem to have let yourself go quite a bit Glynda," sniped Raven.

Glynda glowered at Raven in response.

 **She had a bag, and when she passed her bow to one of them men, she dipped her hands inside.**

" **Begone, evil spirit!" shouted the old woman, who threw white sand in Ruby's face.**

"Hey! What is that stuff?!" demanded Ruby.

"That appears to be salt," said Ghira, "Salt supposedly warded away evil spirits according to our ancestors."

"Did it work?" ask Weiss.

"Ooh, we should try it on some grimm, next time. Let's see them burn into nothingness," said Nora with glee.

"You really want to take your chances doing that?" asked Ilia.

"First we salt them, then I tenderize them with my hammer, they we cook them!" announced Nora.

"What?" asked Ilia, confused by Nora.

"I did not know it was possible to eat grimm," said Penny.

"It isn't," sighed Ren.

" **Hey! What are you doing?" demanded Ruby.**

 **The old woman, Glynda, appeared confused.**

" **Eh? They told me some nefarious being was in Jaune's Forest. I thought a purification ritual was in order," said Glynda.**

"Nefarious being?" asked Ruby.

"Amazing how superstitious our ancestors were," said Ironwood.

"Now, now, James. Let's not judge," said Ozpin, "People in different times simply had different concerns and understandings of the world."

" **If she's no spirit, or other, do you think she's a spy," asked the man who held Glynda's bow.**

" **Perhaps, but what would she be spying? We aren't exactly a wealthy village," said Glynda.**

 **Glynda looked again at the girl, and she blinked in surprise. Ruby had a frown on her face, but that wasn't what Glynda saw.**

" **You there," said Glynda as she approached, "Let me take a good look at your face."**

 **Glynda grasped Ruby by the chin, and twisted her face about to see from multiple angles.**

" **Look clever, girl!" ordered Glynda.**

 **Ruby looked offended by the order.**

"I am clever!" declared Ruby.

"You have your moments," agreed Weiss.

"Nuh-uh! All the time!" objected Ruby.

Weiss just stared, and rolled her eyes.

" **Such a likeness… to my sister, Rosaria," whispered Glynda.**

"There are similarities, but I wouldn't say it was a mirror image," said Tai.

"Ruby is younger in appearance than… Rosaria, was it?" asked Weiss, "Maybe she grows into it."

"Yeah! Give a me a few years and some milk, and I'll knock her out of the park," said Ruby.

"You don't need milk to grow, Ruby," sighed Yang, "Just eat right, and let things happen naturally."

"Easy for you to say…" muttered Ruby.

 **After several hours of discussion, Ruby was unbound, and now sat at a table in the home of Glynda that evening. It was a modest house, all one large room, with the bed on one side. The center had the table and the hearth where a pot of stew was cooking, and on the other side of the small building, was a set of chests for clothes and other items.**

 **Glynda spooned some stew from the pot into a wooden bowl with a wooden spoon, and handed it over to Ruby.**

" **Looks delicious. Thank you," said Ruby.**

" **Forgive us our earlier treatment. With so many wars throughout the land these days, our people are on edge," said Glynda, "Even if I tell them we've no business with the conflicts, they refuse to listen, and just give me more to worry about."**

" **So… This isn't Vale?" asked Ruby.**

" **Va-le?" repeated Glynda, as though the word was new, "Never heard of it. Is that your homeland?"**

" **Yes, well, I'd like to go home soon… eh-heh," Ruby looked away, an expression of fear on her face, "Not that I know how to get home soon," she muttered quietly.**

 **Glynda looked at Ruby thoughtfully…**

"Vale doesn't exist?" asked Ruby.

"Many kingdoms have risen and fallen all throughout Remnant's history. Vale is old in the sense it has outlasted other kingdoms, but it is also young in the sense that it is one of the more recently founded kingdoms of eastern Sanus," said Ozpin.

"So this period predates the founding of Vale?" asked Ghira.

"Or, maybe Vale exists, and it's just a not important enough. There are places around Vacuo that started out like that," said Sun.

 **CRASH**

 **Glynda and Ruby jolted at the noise, and got to their fee. Glynda was the first out the door, and she saw the villages in a panic as a warning bell was being banged.**

" **What's going on?" Glynda asked.**

" **A Grimm!" shouted a man.**

 **Almost immediately, a creature with a woman's body, and a centipede tail tore into the air. It held a horse in its mouth as it rose above the whole village. Several villagers attempted to shoot it with bows and arrows, but most missed their shots, and the one that actually did hit, bounced off as though it were nothing.**

"The underbelly is its weak point," said Ozpin.

"I don't think those villagers have the training to pull that off while it's thrashing about," said Ironwood.

 **The creature whipped it body, and struck the village archers away before it tossed the horse from its mouth before Ruby and Glynda.**

" **That thing!" shouted Ruby, "Did it get bigger?"**

" _ **Hand me the Grimmstone!"**_ **roared the creature.**

 **It lunged at the two, but they dodged its initial pass, followed by its second one. As it backed off from the second one, Glynda looked to Ruby.**

" **The Grimmstone? Do you have it?" she asked Ruby in shock and surprise.**

" **I don't know! I don't know about any Grimmstone!" shouted Ruby.**

" _ **Give it to me! GIVE IT TO ME!"**_ **shouted the Grimm as it tore into the village.**

" **Our spears and arrows aren't doing a thing," said one of the villagers.**

"So, is this what it was like to fight grimm without guns or dust?" asked Ghira, "It must have been terrifying for the people back then."

"Indeed," said Ironwood, "In those times a hunters were an entire class of people who were born and raised to fight and kill grimm."

"We're able to train, and enjoy ourselves on the weekends. Wow, we have it easy," said Pyrrha.

"We should count our blessings we have the equipment we have, and the time to enjoy our days as well," said Ren.

" **We must throw her into the dry well," said Glynda.**

 **Ruby looked to Glynda.**

" **A dry well?" asked Ruby.**

" **The dry well in the Jaune's forest," said Glynda,**

" **Which way is the forest?" asked Ruby. She turned and saw a shining light emanate from a nearby tree line, "Where the shining lights are?"**

" **What did you say?" asked Glynda.**

 **However, Ruby took off, and Glynda and some villagers were knocked back as the monster hurriedly followed. Glynda looked amazed though as she came to.**

" **How can that girl see the foul vapors that emanate from the forest?" she asked herself.**

"She can see what?" asked Weiss.

"Foul vapors…" Ozpin thought aloud, "Perhaps Miss Rose's eyes perceive something ordinary humans cannot."

 **Ruby looked at the forest, and saw the lights getting brighter as she approached.**

" **I've got to get that thing away from the village. It's after me, I'm sure of it!" shouted Ruby.**

 **SKITTER-SKITTER-SKITTER**

" **Oh no… it's gaining!" shouted Ruby as she peered behind her for a moment, "Someone… Anyone… SAVE ME!"**

 **Meanwhile, in the forest, the boy with long black hair and dog ears that was pinned to an oak tree twitched as the arrow in his chest began to glow with silver light. Air filled his lungs for the first time in ages, and his eyes opened. His hand twitched, before his nails grew into claws, and his hand and forearm beefed up in muscle mass and turned black. He sniffed the air, and a toothy smile appeared on his face.**

" **I can smell it…" the boy began, "The scent of the woman who bound me. It's approaching!"**

 **He reached for the arrow in his chest, but the silver glow shone more brightly and his hand was repulsed.**

" **Damn!" he growled.**

"Fearless leader's waking up!" cheered Nora.

"Is Jaune going to help?" asked Pyrrha.

"Doubtful," said Ilia, "Him being part-grimm aside, that's the same village that bound him to that tree, and he just woke up. I doubt he'll be happy to see them."

"That could be a problem," said Tai.

 **Ruby ran harder than she ever did in gym class as the creature closed in. She changed directions quickly, in an attempt to throw the creature off balance, if even for a moment. However, the monster turned on a dime, and went after Ruby as she ran deeper into the forest.**

" _ **Give me the Grimmstone!"**_ **the Grimm roared.**

" **I don't have it!" Ruby shouted as she ran.**

 **The creature lunged, but missed Ruby. However, the creature's attack made the earth erupt and launch Ruby into the air. Ruby skidded in front of the Old Oak, and she winced in pain.**

" **Oww!" she whined.**

" **Hey, Rosaria! Why are you playing around with that centipede monster?"**

 **Ruby looked up and saw the boy from before, only now he was awake. She got up, and the boy sneered at her.**

"He's awake now…" said Yang.

"Hopefully he'll be willing to help, he's in just as much danger as the village is," said Ruby.

"You've never dealt with someone who was angry with you, have you?" asked Ilia.

" **Take her out in one shot. Just like you did to me," the boy said mockingly.**

 **Ruby stared, and the boy blinked.**

" **Huh? Don't look so dumb! Have you lost your mind or something, Rosaria?" jeered the boy.**

"I don't look dumb!" shouted Ruby, who rounded to Weiss, "I don't look dumb, do I?"

"He wasn't talking to you," pointed out Weiss.

"I know, but… Do I?" asked Ruby.

"No, Ruby, you don't," said Weiss.

" **Rosaria… Rosaria…" growled Ruby, "Who's this Rosaria? You listen here-"**

" **She's here," interrupted the boy as he looked up**

 **Ruby looked up as well, and the grimm-woman descended from the treetop and upon her. Ruby sidestepped clumsily, and the creature pounced as she tripped. However, before the monster could grab Ruby, several arrows pierced into the part of the grimm's body that was a woman form the side, and the underside of the centipede body. Ruby turned to see that the villagers led by Glynda had come to her aid. The arrows had ropes at the end of the arrows, and tied to horses on the other side of the lines.**

" **Heave!" shouted one of the villagers.**

 **The villagers got the horses to move, and they dragged the struggling Grimm away from Ruby.**

" **Thank goodness… I'm saved," sighed Ruby in relief.**

" **So hopeless, Rosaria!" jeered the boy.**

 **Ruby whipped back to the boy.**

" **Hey, you…!" she shouted as she got up, "Don't mistake me for someone else! I said I'm not Rosaria!"**

" **Shut up!" shouted the boy as Ruby climbed up onto the roots to approach him, "Who else would give off a scent like you?"**

 **Suddenly the boy stopped, and sniffed. He appeared to be confused…**

" **Or… maybe not," gasped the boy.**

" **Finally!" said Ruby, "My name is Ruby Rose! Ru-by Rose!"**

"I guess this is another universe where Jaune and I aren't going to be friends," said Ruby.

"You became friends at the end of one of them," comforted Yang.

"That's true…" said Ruby, with hope in her voice.

 **The boy looked away.**

" **Now that I think about it, Rosaria had an air of intelligence," muttered the boy, "Not to mention she was a beauty."**

"What?!" yelled Ruby.

"Or, maybe not, Yang," said Weiss.

"Just once: a universe where we're friends at the very beginning!" said Ruby.

 **Ruby's nearly choked at the insult. However, before she could lash at him, five strong arms grabbed hers and pulled. She briefly looked back to see the grimm-woman, and Ruby grabbed the nearest thing she could: the boy's long black hair.**

" **Let go of me!" screamed Ruby.**

" **Ow-ow-ow-ow! You let go of me!" shouted the boy in pain as his hair was pulled.**

" **Look, Priestess Glynda. Jaune Arc has awakened!" shouted a villager in fright as he pointed at the boy.**

" **But how…? My sister's spell was to last all eternity," Glynda gasped.**

" _ **Give me the Grimmstone!"**_ **roared the creature.**

" **Let me go!" screamed Ruby.**

" **The Grimmstone…?" gasped Jaune.**

 **Suddenly, the woman opened her mouth to reveal her fang-like canines. The teeth grew into a pair of mandibles, but just as it moved to bite, Ruby let one of her hands go of Jaune's hair, and her silver eyes flashed.**

" **STOP!" she cried as she her hand moved to hold back the monster.**

 **A powerful aura flowed from Ruby's hands and pushed back the creature. The force tore off even more arms from the creature, but because of her lost footing, Ruby fell onto the ground. Ruby turned around, and saw what she had done.**

" **Just like in the well…" she mused as she looked at her hand, "But… why can I do those things?"**

 **Suddenly, she noticed a blood red light shine within her body.**

" **What is-?"**

 **SHLCK…**

 **Ruby's eyes widened as she saw the centipede woman bite into her side where the light was, and lift her into the air. It thrashed about for a moment before it let Ruby go. As Ruby landed, she noticed a glint of light land in her sight. It was a blood-red jewel covered in fresh blood.**

" **The grimmstone… was within me?" she gasped when she remembered her grandpa's keychain.**

"That's the stone from the beginning," gasped Ilia.

"How did that wind up in there?!" gasped Ruby.

"That's impossible. Humans are not born with gemstones inside them," said Penny.

"Magic," said Ozpin.

"Are we seriously just going to say that whenever there's something confusing going on in this universe?" asked Blake, "That seems so lazy."

" **Give me that jewel!" shouted Jaune.**

" **Huh?" gasped Ruby.**

" **Hurry!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Before Ruby could do anything though, a centipede body encircled the tree and constricted. Ruby, was caught in the bind, and pinned to the tree along with Jaune. The woman part of the body then approached the duo in her grasp.**

" _ **I heard some half-breed brat was after the Grimmstone. So, you're the one,"**_ **said the woman.**

" **Half-breed?" questioned Ruby.**

" **Don't underestimate me, you ugly hag of a centispear!" shouted Jaune, "I can still take care of you if I really get down to business."**

" **Hey!" shouted Ruby, "Pretty arrogant, are you? Are you strong?"**

" **Huh?" asked Jaune.**

" **Well, are you?"**

 **Jaune looked at the monster, who chuckled.**

" _ **What can he do, stuck to that tree? He's under a powerful spell,"**_ **the woman mocked, before she lowered herself to the Grimmstone,** _ **"Just stay where you are, and watch."**_

 **The woman's long tongue snaked down, and coiled around the bloody jewel.**

" **Damn you!" shouted Jaune as the grimm swallowed it.**

"Well, it has it. So, now what?" asked Ilia.

"I guess we find out what happens when a Grimmstone falls in the hands of a grimm," said Blake.

" **It swallowed the jewel!" shouted a panicked villager.**

" **NO!" cried out Glynda.**

" **Priestess, what will happen?"**

 **The grimm's body glowed a red aura, as did it's torn limbs, which returned and reconnected to the woman's body. Suddenly, the woman portion's skin flayed itself off as its muscles twisted and expanded. The eyes, once human were now lidless and red, and all form of sentience was shed for a more feral appearance.**

"EEEEWWWW! It's skinless!" shrieked Nora.

"It's bulking up too…" said Yang before she gagged, "Ugh… Look at those muscles squirm; they're like worms," said Yang.

"I am so happy the grimm we face are a lot less… complex," sneered Weiss.

"Yeah… the skinless woman-body isn't exactly settling," said Qrow.

" **Rejoice! My power has been restored!" declared the grimm-woman.**

 **Its body tightened around the duo on the tree.**

" **AGH! It's got me!" winced Ruby.**

" **Hey, can you pull out this arrow?" asked Jaune, in a serious tone.**

" **Huh?" asked Ruby.**

" **I'm asking if you can pull out this arrow!" repeated Jaune as he kept his eyes on the grimm that continued to grow in power.**

" **Arrow…?" asked Ruby, who looked at the one in his chest, "This one?"**

 **She reached for it, but the centipede-woman tightened its body further, and Ruby retracted her hand a little in pain.**

" **Do not remove it!" shouted Glynda, "That arrow secures the spell on Jaune Arc! You must not free him!"**

" **You old hag! Wake up!" shouted Jaune, "Do you want to get eaten by this centipede?! Once it completely absorbs the Grimmstone's power, it's over!"**

 **The monster continued to grow in size and musculature.**

"What are they going to do?" asked Ilia.

"I would release him…" said Weiss.

"You would?" asked Blake, "Jaune isn't exactly friendly."

"Maybe, but Jaune is right," began Ruby, "That centipede can eat people just as it is. If it absorbs more of that gem's power, who knows what it can do. He may be a jerk in this one, but Jaune can help stop it."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend…" said Ozpin.

 **Jaune looked at Ruby.**

" **Come on! Do you want to die here, too?" asked Jaune.**

 **Ruby looked at Jaune with a determined expression.**

" **I don't know what's going on… but I know one thing," began Ruby before she pulled herself up, and grabbed the arrow, "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"**

 **Ruby pulled, and the arrow glowed before it dissolved into nothingness.**

" **It disappeared!" gasped Glynda, "The arrow that held my sister's spell!"**

 **Ba-bump… Ba-Bump… BA-BUMP…**

 **Ruby heard the steady noise that sounded like a heartbeat, and looked at its source.**

" **Jaune…?" she asked.**

" **He-heh… He-heh-heh… Ha-Ha-HA!" Jaune laughed triumphantly.**

"Here we go…" said Ruby nervously.

"Let's hope he's strong enough. That thing got bigger just now," said Coco.

 **The centipede-woman became alarmed, and released its coil on the two briefly, before retightening its body around them with its sharp legs poised to impale. However, before its legs could spear into the two, a powerful dark aura shot pushed out from Jaune, and tore the centipede body apart. Ruby landed on the ground roughly, but was unaffected by the blast of aura. She looked up to see Jaune land in front of the humanoid portion of the body.**

" _ **You brat!"**_ **it roared.**

" **Shut it, hag!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Jaune's right hand turned black, increased in musculature, and his nails became claws. The monster lunged at Jaune, but Jaune was faster and delivered a swipe that tore the beast to ribbons. The momentum Jaune's attack had carried him, and allowed him to tear into the remaining centipede portions with that one swipe alone. Chunks of the monster rained throughout the forest, and Jaune laughed victoriously as he landed on his feet.**

"Whoa… He tore it apart like it was nothing," said Kali.

"I guess that gem wasn't fully absorbed," said Tai.

"I can't believe how strong Jaune is," began Pyrrha, "His bare hands and claws alone are as sharp as any sword."

"I know… I have to admit: that was so cool," squealed Ruby.

" **Wow… He really** _ **is**_ **strong," shuddered Ruby in shock.**

 **Ruby suddenly noticed that one of the pieces had a leg that was twitching, and she got grossed out.**

" **Eek! It's still moving!" she exclaimed.**

"It's not dissolving," noted Penny, who then turned to Archie, "Another evolutionary trait of this universe's grimm."

"Yes," said Archie, "Only a grimm's flesh dissolves. The bones and/or scales remain, and are sometimes used to forge weapons and armor."

"Grimm-bone weaponry? Sign me up!" declared Nora.

"That would be so awesome!" agreed Ruby.

 **Glynda went to Ruby's side.**

" **Tell me, child, does any of the flesh about the forest shine?" asked Glynda, and Ruby turned to her, "That's where the Grimmstone is embedded. Remove it, or else it will just keep rejuvenating."**

"So that gem can make grimm rejuvenate? I am so glad there is nothing like that in this universe," said Pyrrha.

"Yes," said Ren, who remembered the Nucklevee, "If such a powerful gem fell into the hands of a powerful grimm, the consequences would not bode well for anyone."

"But… It could make the fun last longer…?" ventured Nora.

"No," said everyone.

"You're no fun," grumbled Nora.

" **N-N-No way!" shuddered Ruby, before she looked about and saw a faint red glow in one of the pieces of centipede flesh and pointed, "There! I see it!"**

 **Glynda quickly went to the segment of centipede flesh, and dug around until she found the jewel.**

 **Almost immediately, the monster's flesh dissolved into dust until all that was left were bones. Glynda then approached Ruby, and held the jewel before her. Ruby offered her hands, and Glynda placed the Grimmstone there.**

" **Only you can possess the jewel," said Glynda.**

" **Why was it inside my body?" asked Ruby, more to herself than to Glynda, "Why would I have something that can empower a… a grimm?"**

" **Exactly!" barked Jaune as he crushed one of the centipede bones under his bare feet, "A human has no possible use for such a stone. If you don't want to die from my claws, hand it over!"**

…

 **A/N: Miscellaneous Notes in Part 2**


	21. Inuyasha: Good Boy Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Inuyasha**_ **is the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.**

 **Chapter 22 – Good Boy: Part 2**

" **Why was it inside my body?" asked Ruby, more to herself than to Glynda, "Why would I have something that can empower a… a grimm?"**

" **Exactly!" barked Jaune as he crushed one of the centipede bones under his bare feet, "A human has no possible use for such a stone. If you don't want to die from my claws, hand it over!"**

 **Jaune presented his black claw threateningly, and Glynda got in front of Ruby, ready to protect her. Jaune looked about him as he heard footsteps, and smirked at the sight of the villagers with their spears and bows.**

"Wait, what?" asked Ruby, worried.

"But…" began Pyrrha.

"A common enemy unites," started Raven, "But unless the relationship is between equals, such alliances are short-lived. Isn't that right, Ozpin?"

Ozpin sent Raven a pointed stare.

" **Ruby… Whatever you do, do not let Jaune get the Grimmstone," said Glynda.**

" **If you won't give it, I won't show any mercy. Especially to women whose scent I dislike!" growled Jaune.**

 **The half-grimm charged at the two, and Ruby made a run for it. Jaune lunged at her, his powerful legs carried him to close the gap quickly, and he swiped his black claw.**

 **However, before the claw could tear into Ruby's neck, Ruby tripped on some of the centipede's bones, and she fell to the ground and the attack missed. Ruby did gulp when she saw a few strands of hair fall in front of her. Jaune landed a fair distance, and smirked.**

" **Next time, I'll split you down the middle," he said with a smile.**

"Oh no," growled Yang, "Future hubby, or not, no one hurts my sister!"

"I second that – Wait, WHAT?!" shouted Tai.

"Who are you calling 'future hubby,' Yang?!" demanded Pyrrha and Velvet.

"Are you three seriously going to fight over a guy that just tried to kill Ruby?" asked Blake.

"That's not, the real one," all three girls said.

"How comforting," said Ruby.

 **Ruby looked at him angrily.**

" **You… You were serious just now, weren't you?" she shouted.**

" **Loose!" shouted a villager, and a volley of arrows was released.**

 **Jaune immediately turned, and swiped at the arrows with his other hand which caused them to splinter into pieces. Jaune then charged toward the villagers, and prepared both of his claws. However, instead of killing them, he sliced the tops of two trees, which then fell down. However, all the villagers scattered in time to avoid being crushed, but were all frightened as well. Jaune landed on one of the cleanly cut trees, and looked down on the villagers.**

" **Who do you think I am, anyway?!" he roared, "Don't lump me in with the likes of that dumb centipede."**

" **Priestess Glynda, perhaps the girl shouldn't have undone the arrow spell," shuddered one of the villagers.**

"The joys of being caught between a rock and a hard place," said Ironwood.

"Yeah, there's no good choice, sometimes," agreed Ghira, "Sometimes, it's just the best choice for the situation, and the hope that it will work out."

" **Good grief," sighed Glynda, who then reached into her robes, "It's a good thing I remained prepared for the instance of that hellion getting loose."**

 **Glynda pulled out a beaded necklace, folded her hands around it, and began to chant.**

"I wonder what those are," said Ruby.

"Based on what my counterpart is doing… perhaps it is a conduit for a spell, just as my crop is a conduit for my semblance," said Glynda.

 **Ruby meanwhile was running away again, but Jaune bounded after her and was closing the distance.**

" **Prepare yourself!" he shouted as he prepped his claws.**

" **Prepare myself?! How can I?!" shouted Ruby as she ran.**

 **Jaune swiped, but missed. The impact on the ground though launched Ruby into the air, and she landed roughly on the dirt. The jewel fell not too far from her, but rather than get it right away, she took a look at the scarred earth and gulped in fear. She was so distracted that she didn't notice Jaune had landed elsewhere, and lunged for the jewel.**

" **Now it's mine!" he declared.**

"Oh no! He's going to get the jewel!" gasped Ruby.

"To be honest… I think that's what he was after the whole time," said Ren.

"Duh, why else he threaten my daughter's counterpart?" asked Tai.

"I'm aware, but what I mean is Jaune likely could have killed her at any time. His counterpart has the strength, speed and agility to pull it off. It's the same with the villagers. Yet, despite his prowess, he kept 'missing' his target," said Ren.

"So… Jaune was missing on purpose?" asked Ruby, hopeful.

"Yes. I believe so," said Ren, "Perhaps it's his human side keeping him from hurting other people. Or, if you want to be cynical about it, experience has told him that intimidation is better than outright killing in certain cases."

"I hope it's the first one," said Ruby.

"Us also," said Pyrrha as she gestured to herself, and her team.

 **Glynda meanwhile finished her chant, and the necklace glowed. The bead separated, and shot towards Jaune. The half-grimm was so surprised by the beads that began to form a necklace around his collar that he cut his jumps short to run his hand along his new necklace.**

"So… It's a new accessory?" asked Coco, confused.

"I'm sure it has a purpose," said Glynda.

"It kind of looks like… a collar?" suggested Blake.

" **What is this?" Jaune asked, confused.**

 **Ruby broke from her stupor, and saw the jewel not far from her.**

" **Quickly, Ruby!" called Glynda, "Recite the word of subjugation to hold Jaune Arc's spirit down!"**

" **Huh? What?" Ruby asked absently as she made for the jewel.**

" **Just say something!" called Glynda, "A word to bring Jaune to heel!"**

"I see… It could be a binding spell of sorts, or a means to conduct a binding," said Ozpin.

"Binding?" asked Ruby.

"If I recall there are video games of the fantasy genre that allow you to summon. Traditionally, a binding spell is what the summoner uses to bind a creature to his service," explained Ozpin.

"Hang on! You play video games?" asked Yang, Nora, and Ruby in shock.

"I do other things besides manage the school, you know," answered Ozpin.

 **Ruby grabbed the Grimmstone, and ran. However, she didn't look where she was going, and slid down a small ridge near a bridge that was built over a river. She was about to fall on her face when she opened her hands to use them to cushion her fall. However, this made the Grimmstone bounce on the ground, and onto the bridge.**

 **Jaune leapt into the air, and laughed.**

" **Bring me to heel? You fool!" crowed Jaune as he made his way for the bridge.**

 **Ruby saw Jaune land on the ridge, before he leapt for the bridge.**

" **Word of subjugation? But… what do I say?" rambled Ruby nervously.**

 **Jaune landed on the bridge, ahead of the Grimmstone. He reached for it with a look of triumph etched upon his face. At that moment, Ruby noticed the dog ears…**

" **S-S-Sit!" Ruby shouted.**

 **Before Jaune's hands could get the gem, the necklace he wore lit up, and pulled him down hard, headfirst, into the bridge.**

" **AACK!" Jaune yelped.**

"Sit?" asked Weiss, "Like a dog…?"

"Looks like Jaune's about to go through obedience training," chuckled Yang.

"With a collar…? Kinky…" smirked Coco.

Ruby, Pyrrha, Velvet, and Yang immediately blushed.

 **Ruby approached and stepped foot on the bridge, surprised.**

" **It held him…" she remarked.**

 **Jaune immediately got to his feet, and grabbed at the necklace.**

" **T-The hell?!" Jaune shouted as he tried to yank it off, to no avail, "W-What is this? Damnit!"**

" **It's useless, Jaune!" called out Glynda from the top of the ridge, "Your powers cannot remove the necklace."**

" **Shut up, old hag!" shouted Jaune angrily, "You're first in line! Even if you look half-dead!"**

" **Miss Ruby… The word, please," sighed Glynda.**

" **Sit," said Ruby.**

 **The necklace pulled Jaune's face down into the bridge again, though this time, the planks beneath him broke, and he fell into the river below. As soon as Ruby heard the splash, she moved to the Grimmstone, and picked it up. Glynda soon joined her, and patted Ruby on the back.**

" **Now, then… Let's return to the village," said Glynda.**

" **Wow… All I said was 'sit," said Ruby as she stared at the river.**

"Wait… Glynda cast the spell. How come Ruby has control over the necklace now?" asked Weiss.

"The necklace was indeed cast by Glynda," began Archie, "But the necklace was devised by those of the Silver-Eye Tribe to wrangle and subdue Grimm for slaying or capture. While Glynda does have the power to use it, the necklace will always respond to those of the tribe first."

"Silver-Eye Tribe…?" asked Ruby, with her head tilted to the side.

"Oh…? You don't know of your own lineage and its place in the history of Remnant?" asked Archie.

"Um… No. This is kind of new to me," said Ruby.

"I see…" said Archie, who looked subtly to Ozpin.

Ozpin noticed, sighed, and turned back to the screen.

 **The next morning, Ruby was sitting next to Glynda who just removed some bandages.**

" **Now then… I'll apply more salve on the wound on your belly," said Glynda before she rubbed a concoction onto Ruby's side.**

 **Ruby winced, but her pain dissipated quickly. She was then distracted from the pain further when she heard the noise outside of Glynda's home.**

" **I guess everyone is fixing up the damages caused by that Grimm from last night," remarked Ruby as she heard the sounds of hammers hitting wood.**

" **An ill sign of things to come, I fear," said Glynda, "Now that the Grimmstone has appeared, more grimm will come to try and claim it."**

" **Like yesterday…" nodded Ruby.**

" **Indeed," confirmed Glynda, "But not just grimm, but also humans with evil in their hearts. With all the violence in this world it follows that there will be those who seek the stone's power to realize their greedy ambitions."**

"But Jaune said that humans couldn't really use the stone," said Pyrrha.

"Only in respect to how the grimm use it," said Archie, "The gem can grant wishes, just as York mentioned. That is why mortals would seek it out."

"Like a real wish? Anything they want?" asked Velvet.

"Anything… For a price," said Archie.

"I guess the price would be pretty high, then," said Sun.

"Such is the nature of wishes," said Ozpin.

" **I see…" said Ruby, who frowned and looked elsewhere in the house, "Speaking of which, why are** _ **you**_ **here?**

 **Jaune Arc was reclined on the floor, and looked over his shoulder toward the two.**

"Looks like Arc swam his way out of the river," said Weiss.

"Why is he in the same room as them?" growled Tai.

"I should think that's obvious Tai. Even you aren't _that_ blonde," scoffed Raven.

Tai and Yang growled at Raven.

" **Give me the stone, and I'll be on my way" Jaune demanded, albeit more quietly this time.**

" **Don't worry," said Glynda, "With those beads in place, Jaune is no threat. Even if he tried to make for the jewel, your word has the power to stop him in his tracks."**

 **Ruby hummed affirmatively before she took a breath.**

" **Say, why do you want the stone?" asked Ruby, "You seem strong enough as it is. You don't really need its power, do you?"**

" **He's only a half-grimm," pointed out Glynda.**

 **Jaune got to his feet, and growled with his hand tensed in a threatening manner. The claws and his black hand didn't appear though, but Ruby still prepared herself for that to change.**

" **Hey, old hag, who do you think you are?" growled Jaune, "Don't talk like you know me!"**

"… **I'm not surprised you don't recognize me. It's been 50 years after all," said Glynda, "I'm Glynda, Rosaria's adopted sister, and protégé."**

"So I was adopted," said Glynda, "That settles my curiosity."

"You must have been adopted for your potential as a priestess, if you were chosen to become a protégé to this Rosaria," said Ironwood.

"Well, Miss Goodwitch is scary-strong. It's kind of fitting," said Nora.

"Thank you Ms. Valkyrie… I guess," said Glynda.

 **Jaune blinked, tilted his head, and suddenly, it clicked. His mind saw a little girl trailing after Rosaria, as she held onto a quiver, or any other item that Rosaria needed for her duties as a priestess.**

" **No way… You're the twerp?"**

"Twerp?!" shrieked Glynda, "Why that…!"

Glynda took a breath, and sighed to calm herself.

" **As you can see, I've grown old," pointed out Glynda who moved to the hearth to add more firewood, "A lot of time has passed since those days."**

" **That means – If you're old, Rosaria must be more shriveled up than you. Wow, you humans age in the blink of an eye. Such is the way of the world," chuckled Jaune matter-of-factly.**

"… **My sister, Rosaria, died," said Glynda.**

 **Jaune's eyes flicked, and his hand twitched as a thoughtful expression formed on his face.**

" **She died on the same day she shot you to the tree," added Glynda, as she put some firewood in the hearth.**

" **Ah, so that's how it went," said Jaune with smile, "She kicked the bucket, eh? What a relief."**

"That's so intensive," said Pyrrha, aghast.

"She pinned him to a tree with an arrow," said Raven flatly, "What else would he say?"

"He could be more considerate," said Pyrrha.

"In the era they live in, being considerate was a luxury few could ever afford," said Raven.

" **Jaune Arc, it's too soon for you to sigh in relief," said Glynda as Jaune reclined on the floor again, "Ruby, I believe you to be the reincarnation of my sister."**

" **What?" gasped Ruby.**

"I knew it!" said Nora.

"You did?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah. I just didn't want to make any bets about it in case I was wrong," said Nora.

" **It's not just your likeness, or the powers of the Silver-Eye clan that you possess," said Glynda, "It's the fact that you bore the Grimmstone within you… That is irrefutable proof. You must protect it, Ruby."**

 **Ruby pulled out and looked down at the Grimmstone. Jaune looked at it briefly, but the longing look in his eye vanished as he got up and left the building.**

" **Now then… Would you like some breakfast?" asked Glynda.**

"So… How does reincarnation work?" asked Ren, "I mean, you mentioned that each volume is a universe where Jaune's soul could be. Would Rosaria and Ruby be different souls with their own archives?"

"Not at all. Reincarnation does happen to a soul at times, especially if the soul at the moment of death is resolved to do something," said Archie, "Imagine a sword forged in a mold. It then breaks during testing, but can still be salvaged. So it is melted down, and the smith recasts it in the same mold. However, even though it's the same mold, it isn't the same sword in terms of appearance. The metal is the same, but perhaps the metal cools a little differently or the smith adds something to make it shine more. That is how an archivist sees reincarnation."

"So would that really be me? Or am I someone else?" asked Ruby, scared at the idea that she may not be who she believed herself to be.

"A person is not defined by their name or looks in the eyes of the gods, Ms. Rose. There is only your soul that they see. Whether it inhabits a body whose parents chose to name of Rosaria, or Ruby Rose, your spirit is yours. If Ruby Rose is who your heart, mind, and soul declare yourself to be, then that is who you are," reassured Archie.

Ruby relaxed upon hearing those words.

"Good! Cause that's who _I_ am, and I have no intention of changing that," said Ruby relieved.

 **Ruby walked through the village, stopped near the outskirt, and looked at the blood-red stone around her neck.**

" **I must protect this…?" she repeated Glynda's words, "This is crazy…"**

" _ **She's High Priestess Rosaria's what?"**_ **Ruby heard.**

" _ **She does seem saintly…"**_

 **Ruby heard and twitched a little.**

" _ **What's going on?**_

" _ **That girl's Rosaria's reincarnation."**_

 **Ruby heard and sighed**

" _ **Watch it, kid! That's 'Lady' Rosaria; show some respect!"**_

 **Ruby turned in the direction she heard the whispers. However, before she could say anything she was stunned as a large number of villagers clasped their hands in prayer, and bowed respectfully.**

" **They're… worshipping me…?" Ruby freaked out a little, and walked even more quickly than before.**

"No! No worshipping! Normal knees!" cried out Ruby.

"Normal knees?" asked Weiss.

"Just Ruby's way of trying to remain humble," said Yang.

"Wouldn't you want to avoid that? Being worshipped would be so weird," said Ruby.

"I don't know, I kind of like the idea," said Yang with a chuckle.

"You would," said Ruby, Weiss, and Blake.

 **Meanwhile, Jaune sat on a tree branch outside the village with a thoughtful expression. It was a lot to digest, Glynda's words that is.**

" **So… She's dead," said Jaune.**

"I get the feeling that there's more to Jaune and Rosaria than we think," said Ren.

"What makes you think that?" asked Pyrrha.

"A hunch…" said Ren.

 **Suddenly Jaune's ears twitched. Something headed toward him from behind, and his hand shot out to grab… Jaune moved his hand from behind him to see an apple was in his grasp.**

" **Hey! Want to share?"**

 **Jaune looked down to see Ruby on the ground. She had a basket of fruit in one hand, and some washed carrots in the other.**

"I wonder if she knew Jaune was going to do that," said Ruby.

"It would be bad, if he didn't catch it," said Blake, "It wouldn't hurt him, but it wouldn't help to endear him to you either.

" **What's that?" asked Jaune, surprised by the food in her hands.**

" **The villagers gave me… offerings," said Ruby, a little embarrassed, "You want some? You eat fruits and veggies, right?"**

 **Jaune stared, but leapt down a fair distance from her. Ruby moved to the tree trunk, and sat down. Jaune joined her after a moment, and Ruby offered him some of the apples she had been given. Jaune stared at them a bit before he swiped them, and began to eat. Ruby ate nonchalantly while Jaune ate, and eyed her warily. It was like this for a few minutes, before Jaune finally spoke up after he tossed the core of one of the apples he ate.**

" **You're up to something. I know it," he accused.**

" **Am not," said Ruby, who swallowed a piece of her apple. "You** _ **do**_ **hate me, don't you?"**

" **You have no idea how much!" confirmed Jaune.**

"I'm sure he just needs time to realize that time has passed. Then he'll realize that you're not Rosaria," said Pyrrha in a reassuring manner.

"I hope so…" said Ruby, almost resigned.

Archie looked at Ruby, and hummed in thought.

'Should I…? Perhaps after the viewing,' Archie thought to himself.

" **Look…" growled Ruby, "The one you hate isn't me, but this lady named Rosaria."**

 **Jaune scoffed, and leapt back to the tree branch.**

" **My name is Ruby Rose!" called Ruby, "I'm not Rosaria! So won't you be a little nicer to me?"**

 **Jaune got onto his feet, and balanced on the branch.**

" **Are you stupid, or what?" Jaune accused as he pointed at her, "Only the strong can get what they want in this world. I don't care who you are! In order to get the Grimmstone, I have to be merciless!"**

"He's correct," began Raven, "Only the strong can achieve their goals, and survive in the world."

"Ugh… You and that mantra," groaned Qrow.

"Hating those words doesn't make it less true," said Ravwn.

" **Is that so…" began Ruby, "In that case, if you do get violent, then all I have to do is say 'sit' and-"**

 **SLAM**

 **Ruby jumped, and saw that Jaune had slammed hard on the ground face-first.**

" **Oops! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that time," apologized Ruby nervously.**

 **Jaune planted his hands from the ground, and gave Ruby a stink eye with his muddy face.**

" **Why you…" growled Jaune.**

"Okay… That was kind of funny," snorted Nora.

"T-True…" chuckled Pyrrha, "But it must have hurt too."

"Sorry…" chuckled Ruby.

"It was an accident," said Ren.

 **It was night time again when Ruby laid in the sleeping mat provided by Glynda and the villagers, as they were apparently working on a proper bed.**

" **It's been two days since I got here," said Ruby sadly, "Grandpa… Yang… Mom… They must be so worried. I've got to find a way to get home."**

 **Outside the house, several crows were roosting in a tree. One crow though was larger than all the others, and had glowing red eyes. It eyed Glynda's house, and could faintly see a red light through the seams between the planks on the roof.**

"That gem is attracting the grimm," said Pyrrha.

"Do you think the gem is emanating some form of negativity?" asked Ren.

"That would be a logical assumption," said Winter.

 **Suddenly, the nevermore saw something launch toward the tree. Jaune landed on the branches, and swiped about to clear the crows from the trees. It was then that he noticed the nevermore, and went after it with gusto. The nevermore flew off, frustrated, and Jaune scoffed.**

" **Tch… Great. They've been drawn to the power of the stone. Damn vermin," groused Jaune.**

'It's almost like a relic,' thought Ozpin.

 **The next morning, Ruby walked through the forest toward the dry well.**

" **Let's see, Jaune's Forest, and the dry well… If there's clues to how I can go home, it will be there," said Ruby.**

 **She moved through the woods, and found the well.**

" **There it is – Wha-MMMPH!"**

 **Several hands wrapped around Ruby's face, arms, and legs.**

"Oh no!" gasped Penny, "That does not bode well."

"More grimm?" gasped Velvet.

"I don't think so. They'd be all 'RAWR, give me the stone!' you know?" said Coco.

 **Meanwhile in the village, Glynda walked through the village.**

" **Ruby? Ruby!" she called out.**

 **Several villagers went to her with concerned looks.**

" **Ma'am, she's not in the village," said one of them.**

" **She couldn't have left the village by herself," said Glynda, "I ought to have explained in more detail about the wicked beings that seek the Grimmstone."**

 **From the roof of one of the houses in the village, Jaune and his keen ears heard that Ruby left the village.**

" **I better look her. If the nevermores are coming, who know what's out there," said Jaune before he took off.**

"Yay! Jaune to the rescue!" cheered Ruby.

"He's just after the jewel, I bet," said Weiss.

"Weiss…" whined Ruby, "Please, can you be a wet blanket some other time, and let me have this?"

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Go Jaune, you can do it," said Weiss flatly.

 **In an abandoned temple in the forest, Ruby was bound and pinned to the floor as she shook in fear. There were several bandits in cheap metal and leather armor in the temple, who eyed her hungrily, however they didn't make a move… yet.**

"Bandits!" shouted Ruby.

Raven and Qrow blinked at the sight.

"That could be worse than the grimm," said Winter.

"No kidding…" said Qrow.

"This should be interesting," muttered Raven.

" **Boss! We captured the girl, just like you ordered!" said one of them.**

" **She's got some strange clothes," commented one, who then tugged at Ruby's skirt, "What's this flimsy wrap-around?"**

"Hands off!" shouted Team RWBY, Tai, and Qrow.

"I hope fearless leader breaks their legs," said Nora.

"We'd help if we could," said Pyrrha with a nod from Ren.

 **Ruby blushed in embarrassment, and scrambled to her feet. Her sudden action surprised the bandits a little, and the fell back.**

" **Back off, you pervert!" shouted Ruby angrily.**

" **Well, you asked for it! Exposing yourself like that!" shot back one of the bandits.**

" **Don't worry," said another bandit, "We won't bite."**

"How classless," scoffed Raven.

"I don't know. Pretty accurate, all things considered," said Tai with a sharp glare to his ex-lover.

"There's a difference between a common bandit, and an outlaw," said Raven, who then flashed a flirty smile to Tai, "Outlaws have standards… and charm."

Tai blushed a little as memories resurfaced. Yang looked utterly livid at Raven, and wanted to punch something. However, she tamped the brakes on her temper hard because Archie would definitely get upset, and she knew he could end things instantly.

 **Some bandits moved to her with lecherous smiles, and Ruby backed away, frightened by the situation.**

" **Give me the stone!" said a grave voice that made the bandits freeze.**

 **Ruby and the bandits turned to see a large ogre of a man, at least seven feet in height, and all muscle move toward them. His steps were wobbly, and his head swayed lazily.**

"Someone had a rough night," said Qrow.

"His eyes…" began Raven, "Something's not right."

"…Yeah," said Tai, "The eyes look… lifeless."

 **The leader of bandits drew his sword, and his henchmen held Ruby by the arms.**

" **Hey boss, slice her in half with one swing!" cheered one of the bandits that held Ruby.**

"Oh no! Kick them in the shin!" shouted Ruby.

"She's in panic mode, judging from her face. I don't think it's occurred to her to try it," said Qrow.

"Well, I guess we're going to adding grappling to things you need to learn too," said Yang.

"Doesn't that already count as hand-to-hand?" asked Ruby.

"Not really. It's a separate discipline," said Tai, "Well, according to some people."

" **L-Let go!" screamed Ruby.**

" **Hold still, you little bi- ARGH!"**

 **The leader missed, and cut the man down. The other man who held Ruby stumbled back in shock, and the others were frightened by the turn of events.**

" **B-Boss… Why?" croaked the cut-down bandit before he died.**

"… **Oops," said the bandit leader, though he was not bothered in the slightest based on the tone of his voice.**

 **The boss swung wildly, and Ruby and the bandits struggled to avoid being hit.**

"He's moving almost like a marionette," said Penny.

"That's an interesting description," said Blake.

"They're… like my first steps upon activation. That's how I know," said Penny, embarrassed.

"Well, if he's clumsy, he can't hurt Ruby… well, accurately anyway," said Yang nervously.

 **Jaune was on all fours, and sniffed about the ground.**

" **This is her scent… But there are other ones too… Ugh, smelly ones… with blood," muttered Jaune.**

 **As Jaune followed the trail, his eyes widened and he looked up.**

" **Fear… I feel fear…" he said, then he smiled, "Looks like I found her!"**

 **Jaune took off, and ran toward the direction he felt a strong sense of fear.**

"That must be his grimm-traits," said Ghira.

"Heightened senses and the ability to feel negative emotions. I pity anyone that tries to run from him," said Winter.

"Yeah… He'd be like a shark in bloody water," said Raven.

" **B-Boss!" cried out a bandit as several managed to grab Ruby and offered the struggling girl to their boss, "Where are you aiming? It's her you want! Aren't you going to slay the girl?"**

" **There's something wrong with your boss!" shouted Ruby before she whipped her body free, and she slapped their hands back, "Get it together, or you'll be next!"**

 **Immediately, the bandits ducked, and Ruby turned around – and ducked when she saw the sword. As soon as the swords went past, Ruby and the others broke away from the crazed bandit leader and made for the exit.**

" **Why am I going through this? I didn't do anything wrong!" shouted Ruby.**

"It's because she has the jewel," pointed out Ilia.

"I think she's talking more about the situation she's in," said Kali.

 **The leader rampaged about, and in his frenzy, he sliced through a rotten wooden pillar. The beams in the building began to creak and moan, and the exit collapsed. One of the bandits was caught in the collapse, but wasn't killed.**

" **The exit's blocked!" shouted one of the bandits.**

" **Are you okay?" asked Ruby as she helped the bandit in the collapse up on his feet.**

" **Thank you! T-Thank you!" said the rescued bandit graciously as Ruby hoisted him up on her shoulder.**

"Really?" said Raven with a cocked eyebrow.

"That's Ruby, always helping people, even if they don't deserve it," said Tai.

"She sounds exactly like her mother," said Raven, distantly… and bitterly.

"Well, that's good," said Ruby triumphantly.

'It's partly the reason why she died, foolish girl,' thought Raven.

" **The stone…" groaned the leader impatiently, "Give me the stone!"**

 **Ruby looked at the Grimmstone that hung from her necklace, and came up with a plan. She moved to the side, and the leader's gaze followed. As she moved, she noticed something: the bandits followed her in fear.**

" **What are you doing?" she asked.**

 **The crazed bandit leader lunged, and the group bolted. The bandit leader missed his swing, and his heavy body collided with the wall. The wall had a large crack and dent. Ruby then saw an opportunity.**

" **Here, take him," said Ruby, as she handed the injured bandit to his peers.**

" **R-Right," he said as he took in his friend.**

 **Ruby yanked the stone from her necklace, and tossed it into the collapsed debris that blocked the original exit. The Grimmstone bounced a little, and clattered away to the outside.**

" **The stone… The Grimmstone…!" moaned the leader, who then hobbled in the stone's direction.**

" **Now, let's break that wall down!" ordered Ruby, who pointed to the cracked, dented wall.**

 **The bandits nodded, and charged at the wall. Despite the damage done by the crazed bandit leader, the wall did not budge.**

" **Boss, it's not good!" said a bandit to Ruby.**

"Ruby gained henchmen!" cheered Nora.

"What? NO! I don't want henchmen, or worshippers! Normal knees! Normal knees!" declared Ruby.

"Don't worry. _Real_ bandits wouldn't make you their leader without a display of strength," said Raven.

"…That's true," said Qrow.

" **B-Boss? I am** _ **not**_ **your boss!" shouted Ruby.**

 **Just then, the bandit leader returned its attention to Ruby. Ruby heard the monstrous man's approach, and she trembled when she saw the man swing his sword.**

 **CRACK-BOOM**

 **The dented wall broke inward, and Jaune lunged in and his arm turned black. Jaune blocked the sword strike. The blade shattered to pieces, and Ruby's eyes shined with gladness.**

" **Jaune…" breathed Ruby in relief.**

"Jaune made it in time," cheered Ruby and Pyrrha.

"All he needs now is a white horse!" added Nora.

"Nora… I doubt this Jaune would ever ride a horse, given how physically strong and nimble he is," said Ren.

"Let a girl dream, Ren," said Yang.

"Yeah," sighed Velvet and Pyrrha as they imagined Jaune on horseback.

Ren sighed as Nora nodded along.

 **Jaune landed, and punched the bandit leader back. The leader collapsed, and the other bandits ran out the newly formed hole in the building.**

" **We're going ahead, boss!" said a bandit with the injured man from the collapse.**

" **Thanks again," said the injured bandit, and they went out together.**

" **Jaune, you came to rescue me?" asked Ruby as she swooned.**

" **Is it safe? The Grimmstone?" Jaune asked.**

" **Huh…?" asked Ruby.**

" **I'm asking you if the Grimmstone is safe?" asked Jaune.**

"And we're back to normal," said Weiss.

"Seems like it," said Tai and Qrow at the same time.

"Boo! Bring back Hero-Jaune," said Nora and Ruby.

" **Well… about that," began Ruby nervously.**

 **The bandit leader got up, and suddenly Jaune clenched his nose.**

" **Ugh… What that smell? It's like rotting meat…" gagged Jaune.**

 **Suddenly, a piece of the bandit leader's armor tore off, and revealed a massive, bloody hole on his chest. Within the hole were two glowing eyes, and a nevermore's head poked out.**

" **CAAAAWWW!" it shrieked angrily.**

"EEEWWW! Gross!" shouted the students, and the adult, even Raven, were unsettled.

" **W-What?" gasped Ruby as she covered her mouth at the sickening sight.**

" **Huh… The bastard must have had his heart torn out and eaten. A couple nights ago, at least. Then it nested," said Jaune.**

" **He was manipulated…? I thought there was something wrong with him. That grimm must be powerful…" commented Ruby.**

" **What makes you think that?" asked Jaune, who did not take his eyes off the bird.**

" **My grandfather's stories. Strong grimm are able to influence people, right?" asked Ruby.**

"Another adaptation of the grimm in this universe then," said Ozpin.

"Their universe's grimm are more dangerous than I imagined," said Ironwood, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but we're lucky."

"… **He's not wrong, but it depends on the grimm," said Jaune, "Nevermores like these are stronger than young ones, but they're far weaker than their alpha forms. They rely on corpses to do their bidding, disgusting cowards."**

 **Jaune's hand turned black, and his claws came out as he thrusted them into the hole. The nevermore burst out from the bandit corpse's back, and flew out the collapsed entrance. The corpse dissolved into bones and collapsed into pieces.**

" **Wait, it's getting away! Aren't you going to go after it?" asked Ruby.**

" **What do you think I am, a huntsman? Unlike those morons, I know I can't go after every stupid grimm in the world. There's only one of me, after all," scoffed Jaune.**

"Being a huntsman is not stupid!" shouted Ruby.

"He's probably saying that because of his half-grimm nature. Not much surprise there," said Tai.

Ruby grumbled a little.

" **But-" began Ruby.**

" **Forget it!" cut off Jaune who went to the debris at the old entrance, "I'm the one doing the fighting! So I decide! Now where's the – HUH?!"**

 **Out of the corner of his eye Jaune saw a familiar glint. When he face fully in that direction, he saw the same nevermore fly off with a blood-red stone in its mouth.**

" **Is that the stone?!" yelped Jaune, who then turned to Ruby angrily, "Why, you!"**

" **I never said anything about having it on me!" objected Ruby.**

 **Jaune claws immediately reemerged, and he tore through the debris with his bare hands. He then got Ruby by the wrist.**

" **Come on!" he ordered, and the two went after the bird.**

 **A couple steps though, Juane noticed that some of the bandits' horses had bow and arrows. He looked to Ruby, then to the weapons, and ran to the forgotten steeds. He got a weapon set, and gave it to Ruby.**

" **What am I supposed to do with this?" asked Ruby, confused.**

" **Arm yourself, and climb on," said Jaune, who then crouched down, "It'll be faster than dragging you with me."**

 **Ruby stared for a moment, but ultimately did as Jaune asked. Bow in hand, and quiver on back, Ruby climbed onto Jaune's back. He held Ruby by her bare thighs, a move that caused her to blush. However, those thoughts ceased when Jaune stood up, and leapt after the nevermore, since she became more concerned with not falling off.**

"Someone likes where Jaune's holding her," teased Nora.

"Eep!" squeaked out Ruby.

"Those hands are probably strong… and rough," added Coco.

"T-That's not what's going on!" said Ruby, "He's just… We're working together to take down that bird!"

"So you say…" teased Nora.

"Urk!" garbled Ruby as she tried to calm down.

 **The two closed in on the nevermore, and Jaune looked over his shoulder.**

" **What are you waiting for? Shoot it down already!" said Jaune.**

" **Are you crazy? I've never used a bow and arrow in my life," objected Ruby.**

" **That grimm survives by eating human flesh! With the Grimmstone, it will transform just like with that centipede-woman," reminded Jaune.**

 **Ruby gulped, and took a breath.**

" **Alright! I'll try," said Ruby.**

" **Okay," said Jaune, "Take it out in one shot. Rosaria was a master archer. If you have some of her powers, it stands to reason you have her skill with a bow."**

"The powers, maybe," said Winter, "But archery is a skill that takes years of dedicated practice."

"That's right. Unless Rosaria is somehow in her head telling her how to draw the string and loose, I'm pretty sure Ruby will fire like a novice. Sorry, Ruby," said Ren.

"It's fine. It actually makes a lot of sense," said Ruby

Ozpin chuckled a little.

'Too true,' Ozpin thought to himself, and how he helped his reincarnations get up to speed.

" **Fine! But I'm Ruby Rose!" snapped Ruby, though Jaune brushed it off.**

 **Ruby took an arrow, and nocked it clumsily to the bow and set it to the string. She pulled the bowstring shakily, and aimed directly at the bird. Then, she let go.**

 **Jaune saw the arrow fly… then fall halfway to the target. He was so horrified by the shot he forgot he was descending, and tripped when his feet touched the ground. He skidded face-first into the dirt, and Ruby looked down safely on his back.**

" **You aren't lying about her being a master archer, are you?" accused Ruby.**

" **She was! You're apparently a klutz!" shouted Jaune.**

" **CAAAAAWWWRR!"**

 **The two looked up, and saw a larger nevermore in the sky with a red aura.**

" **Great, now it's bigger. The thing must have swallowed the stone!"**

 **Jaune got up, and Ruby held on as he gave chase. He leapt up with all his strength to bring Ruby close as she drew the bow, and at the height of the jump, Ruby aimed a little higher and loosed the arrow.**

 **The arrow got closer, but missed by a foot, at least.**

 **Jaune landed, but instead of running, he dropped Ruby to the ground.**

" **Owww! What was that for?!" Ruby demanded.**

" **I don't care what Glynda says! You** _ **aren't**_ **her. You're nothing like Rosaria! I was a fool to expect so much!" Jaune shouted before he took off.**

" **Jaune, wait!" shouted Ruby.**

"I could totally take it down with a bow if I wanted to," grumbled Ruby.

"It's fine, Ruby. He's just putting too much of a burden on your shoulders," said Weiss.

"Indeed," said Winter, "It's often the case when someone sees you as a successor for a great individual."

"That just makes me want to prove myself even more, even though it's not really me he's talking to," said Ruby.

 **Meanwhile, at the village, a little boy was with his mother when suddenly the boy felt a shift in the wind.**

" **CAAAWWWRRR!"**

 **The boy looked up and a large nevermore grabbed him by the shirt.**

" **AAAAHHHH!" screamed the boy.**

" **MY SON!" cried the mother.**

 **Jaune managed to catch up, and saw the whole thing.**

" **Looking for food already?" growled Jaune, "Well, you better think about running away from me first!"**

"Go get him, fearless leader! Pluck that crow's feathers!" shouted Nora.

Qrow choked on his drink for a moment, and Raven chuckled at the ginger's declaration.

"It would be easier just to slice it to ribbons like he did with the centipede," said Blake.

Qrow began to cough, and Raven laughed even louder.

"Qrow, are you feeling alright?" asked Ozpin, a hint of mirth in his voice.

"Y-Yeah, just peachy," muttered Qrow.

 **Ruby returned to the village, and saw a commotion on the bridge. As many of the villagers gawked, she saw a hysterical woman cry.**

" **My son! Can anyone rescue my son?!" she wailed.**

 **Ruby saw Jaune in the distance, for who else could leap that high at the speed the nevermore flew.**

" **Jaune! Rescue the boy!" shouted Ruby.**

" **Yeah, right!" shouted Jaune, who lunged with his black claw.**

 **The grimm was shredded by the attack, and though the boy was unharmed, he landed in the water and splashed about.**

" **Help!" the boy cried.**

 **Jaune ignored the boy though, as he searched for a blood-red light.**

" **The stone! Where's the Grimmstone?!" muttered Jaune.**

"The kid, next," urged Nora.

"Jaune! The boy! Get the boy!" shouted Pyrrha, aghast at her partner ignoring the helpless child.

"He'd probably find the stupid gem if he went in the water," growled Weiss.

" **My son!" cried the woman on the shore opposite of Jaune.**

 **The woman and the villagers ran after the boy as he flowed down the current. Ruby saw that Jaune wasn't going to help, and she took off her shoes and socks and jumped into the water. After she dove in, she fell onto her old swimming lessons. She breached the surface for air, and began to stroke and kick her legs.**

"Good thing you took swimming lessons," said Tai, relieved.

"Stroke! Stroke!" cheered Ruby.

" **How's she doing that?" asked a villager.**

" **She's swimming so quickly!" said a woman, excited and hopeful.**

" **WAIT! She must be a kelpie in human form!" gasped an elderly man.**

"What's a kelpie?" asked Penny.

"An old legend," said Ozpin, "They often assume the forms of horses, beautiful women, or handsome men to lure victims. Once they have their prey, they drag them to the water to drown and eat them."

"That's lovely," said Ilia flatly.

"Why horses?" asked Ruby.

"In the time the legend was common, horses were signs of stature and wealth. Even if you couldn't afford one, or ride it properly, the nobility would pay a substantial amount for one. The finer in appearance, the more one could gain from its purchase. Legends say many fell prey to the kelpie due to either their greed, or in the case of its human forms, their lusts."

"Sounds like you had some firsthand experience," said Raven.

"…I'm not that old," said Ozpin with a sigh as he ignored Raven's bait.

 **Some of the other villagers looked skeptical at the elderly man's claims, and instead began to cheer on Ruby. Ruby got to the child, and wrapped a protective arm around him. She then reclined back, so the child would be able to breathe more easily. Ruby kicked her legs and stroked her free arm, and moved diagonally toward the riverbank with the current. When she got to the shore, the boy's mother ran to him, and took him in her arms.**

" **Mom!" the boy cried.**

" **You're safe now! Momma's here!" wept the woman as she peppered him with kisses. She then turned to Ruby, and bowed repeatedly, "Thank you, my lady. Thank you! I shall thank the gods every day for you, I promise!"**

" **I-It's fine… You don't have to," said Ruby nervously.**

"Just another day's work for Ruby Rose!" said Ruby.

"Oh, now you'll take grateful adoration?" asked Weiss.

"Well, I actually did something to earn it," said Ruby.

Weiss blinked, and smirked.

"Yes, you did," said Weiss, impressed.

" **Hey, girl! Where's the stone?!" shouted a voice from the opposite bank.**

 **Ruby turned, and shot a glare at Jaune, before she turned her nose up angrily. Jaune, who had better eyesight thanks to his grimm-blood actually saw her expression, and recoiled.**

"I know he's my leader, but it serves him right," said Ren.

"Yeah…" said Nora sadly.

"Does he get better, Archie?" asked Pyrrha.

"He does," said Archie.

Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren relaxed a little.

 **SPPPHH – "CAAAAAWWWRRRR!"**

 **Everyone turned to see the large nevermore had reformed, and began to fly from the water.**

" **It's getting away!" shouted Jaune, who gave chase again.**

" **I guess I'll give him a piece of my mind later…" said Ruby.**

" **WAAHHH!"**

 **Ruby whipped to the boy, and saw a large talon was still attached to the boy's shirt, and tried to pull toward the nevermore. Ruby gasped, but noticed a villager with a bow, and got an idea. She ran to him, and the villager took a step back due to Ruby's speed.**

" **Excuse me, may I borrow your bow and arrow?" asked Ruby politely.**

" **Uh… Sure, Miss!" said the villager.**

 **He handed them to her, and Ruby ran to the boy. She pulled arrow, and borrowed a piece of cotton wrap from a one of the village women. Using the cloth, and after some effort, she tied the nevermore's claw to the arrow, and nocked it to the bow.**

"Clever," said Blake.

"With that thing tied to the arrow, it'll be just like a rifle round. Straight to the target, and BAM!" said Ruby.

" **What's she doing? No way can she hit it from that distance – Wait, is that…?" paused Jaune as he squinted.**

" **This time, for sure!" shouted Ruby, and she loosed the arrow.**

 **The arrow travelled at a fast speed, and closed in on the nevermore.**

" **She attached the nevermore's talon to the arrow…? Not bad," said Jaune, impressed.**

" **You want your foot back? You can have it," said Ruby.**

"… **CAAAWWWRR!"**

" **She got it!" cheered Jaune, who then paused when a bright light flashed, and he had to shield his eyes, "What…? Where'd the lights come from?!"**

 **A brilliant light ignited the sky, and suddenly hundreds of lights burst like a firework and flew off into the horizon. Back in the village, Glynda looked shocked at the lights in the sky.**

" **Oh my, I've got a bad feeling about this…" said Glynda, with a worried expression.**

"How would it be a problem. I hit the bird," said Ruby.

"…I think you hit more than the bird," said Qrow.

 **It was Sunset…**

" **Are you sure it's around here?" asked Jaune.**

" **Yeah," said Ruby, "I feel it… But I can't help but wonder what that light was…"**

" **CAWWW"**

 **Ruby gasped, and turned to the sources of the sound. A nevermore head somehow flew at her with its beak open.**

"How is that head even flying?" asked Blake, unsettled by the sight.

"It must still have the jewel," said Glynda, "Remember, the grimm that have it don't die unless it's removed from them."

 **Before it could attack her, Jaune got in front of the Ruby, and shredded it with his grimm claw. However, as the fleshy pieces dissolved into nothingness, a shard of red crystal fell before the two.**

 **Ruby felt her heart pick up speed.**

" **Could this be…?" she gasped.**

" **Could this be'… what?" asked Jaune.**

 **Ruby picked it up, and looked to Jaune.**

" **Um… I think my arrow hit more than the nevermore," said Ruby with a laugh and a nervous gulp.**

"Called it," said Qrow.

"Then all those lights…?" began Ruby, nervous.

"Yep," answered Qrow.

 **Jaune looked at the fragment with a twitchy eye.**

" **W-What did you say…?!"**

…

"Thus begins a journey to reclaim the shards of the Grimmstone," said Archie.

"That sounds like quite the journey. Especially when one considers the chemistry between Ms. Rose, and Mr. Arc in this one," said Glynda.

"That's putting it mildly. Jaune was a real jerk in this one," said Yang.

"Not as bad at the last one where he fought Rufus," said Pyrrha, a little relieved.

"True," allowed Weiss.

"At least he gets better," said Ren, "He does get better, right?"

"I did say that," said Archie.

"Really?" asked Ruby hopeful.

"Yes, I don't normally give spoilers, but I'll make an exception this time. In the journey you take to get all those shards, the two of you will become… very good friends," said Archie.

"Oh… Well, alright," said Ruby now a little more confident, "That's a relief."

 **A/N: Inuyasha… I forgot how much of a jerk you were at the start. But don't worry Ruby, you two will be _very_ good friends... **

**I just hope I nailed this one because there were a lot of complicated explanations regarding reincarnation and the soul. Let me know if I got it right in the reviews if you can.**

 **Anyway, this might be a little more Ruby oriented, but some of the key moments in the first two episodes, which also set up events to come, are told from her perspective. I just hope there was enough Jaune perspective to balance it out, and justify putting it in the archive.** **I'll definitely revisit this one for some Lancaster moments, along with the potential future with Ruby. When? Not sure, but definitely after _Lord of the Rings_. **

**Miscellaneous Notes**

 **Figuring out how I would turn Yang into Souta was tricky at first. At first it was going to be the result of a threesome between Tai, Raven, and Summer during a college reunion… Lemon idea…? Anyway, that idea eventually got convoluted the more I thought about it, especially when I considered Tai's character. Then I remembered surrogacy, and figured that would be a more realistic option.**

 **On grimm developing a conscious/soul, I drew some inspiration from the** _ **Buffy The Vampire Slayer**_ **series that Joss Whedon made. Two characters: Angel and Spike, were both vampires who received souls for different reasons. Angel received a soul as a form of punishment from a gypsy after he killed several members of her clan, and the guilt of his actions as a vampire made him work to redeem himself. Spike received his soul after undergoing several trials, after he tried to rape Buffy because of his obsession for her. It's a** _ **really**_ **complicated love affair, but like Angel, once he gets his soul back, he is overcome with guilt for all his actions as a vampire that he works to redeem himself. Just like with this story, Whedon used "magic" to explain how it was possible for soulless creatures of darkness to gain souls.**

 **I briefly touched upon reincarnation in the** _ **Gintama**_ **chapters. Here I gave it from the perspective from an archivist, Archie.**

 **York Rose is an OC I made up to stand in for Ruby's grandfather. York comes from the House of York in the Wars of the Roses. The emblem of the family is the White Rose, and as a fun, shippy note, the emblem of the York's rivals, the Lancasters, is the Red Rose.**

 **Rosaria is an OC I came up with stand in for Kikyo. Her name is Italian for "Rosary."**

 **I was originally going to call the centipede grimm "centispear-woman," but I think Ozpin's explanation was better.**

…

 **Thank you for reading, and please review.**

 **Preview: COD – Advanced Warfare**


	22. COD AW: The Man Makes the Suit

**Sorry for the lack of updates the past two weeks. With Thanksgiving week throwing off my work schedule, my usual writing days were put on hold. Not to mention the light novels and manga I got for my kindle are really good. In fact, I may have found some additional material.**

 **So, anyway, the last** _ **Call of Duty**_ **chapter on the list. After this, it's** _ **God of War**_ **, and then a "Lunch" Period intermission followed by** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **.**

 **Anyway, let's get started.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare**_ **is the intellectual property of Activision.**

 **Chapter 22 – The Man Makes the Suit**

"You're in a good mood," pointed out Weiss.

"Because apparently, Jaune and I become friends in that universe. The power of friendship transcends all!" declared Ruby cheerfully.

"That's right!" added Nora.

"Right… _friendship_ ," teased Coco.

"Urk… Um, Archie, what's next?" yelped Ruby.

"Smooth," said Ilia under her breath, but Blake and Sun heard and chuckled.

"The last military one of the batch," said Archie.

"Ooh, what manner of warfare will we see here?" asked Penny.

"Will it be akin to the previous ones?" asked Winter.

"Somewhat," said Archie, who slipped the volume in.

…

 **Lines of soldiers approached the walls where skeletal metal frames that dangled from hooks from the lockers in the armory. The soldiers faced their back to the suits, and when the suits were placed on the ground, they set foot in them and attached their feet, legs, hands, arms, and back to them.**

"I wonder what those are," said Kali.

"The skeletal frame appears to be a combat harness of some sort…" said Penny.

"Despite the simplicity, it appears a little more complex than a simple combat harness," said Ironwood

 **Once they were set up with the frames, the soldiers got their rifles, helmets, and any other equipment they would need for the coming battle. Once they had their gear, they made their way to a massive loading bay. Columns of marines marched to their designated elevator lifts marked with yellow paint on the floor, as the airship's crew ran about with carts of equipment and ammo, while forklifts were driven with loads of heavy ordinance.**

 **Among the soldiers was one who undid his helmet's breathing mask, and raised his helmet visor.**

"There's Jaune!" declared Nora.

"He looks nervous," pointed out Ruby.

"It appears these soldiers are going into battle soon. Any soldier's nerves would act up, either in nervousness or anticipation," said Winter.

 **Jaune began to take deep breaths, when a friendly shove came to his right shoulder.**

" **Cheer up, Arc. It can't be all that bad," said a man to Jaune's right.**

 **Jaune turned to face the man…**

"General Ironwood…?" gasped most of the audience.

Ironwood blinked, but squinted to get a better look.

"So, I guess Arc and Jimmy are pals here," said Qrow.

"That's not me…" said Ironwood, "He has my face from when I first enlisted, but the eyes are green."

"Hmm… You're right," said Glynda, who paid a little extra attention to the eyes.

They seemed so familiar to her.

" **I guess it's finally starting to sink in, Will," said Jaune.**

"Well, that confirms he's not you, sir," said Winter.

"No… But 'Will' – that was my father's name," said Ironwood.

"Was it?" asked Winter, surprised.

Ironwood did not answer, but rather, he watched the young man next to Jaune with great interest.

" **Ah, this is what we signed up for," said Will with a determined expression.**

" **Yeah, well the old man was a leatherneck, so I didn't really have much of a choice," said Jaune.**

" **Yeah?" asked Will, Jaune nodded, "I joined up because of the old man too. More just to get away from him."**

Blake and Yang chuckled.

"Hey!" yelped Tai in horror.

"Blake…" said Ghira, a little hurt.

"Sorry," said Blake apologetically.

"Don't worry, dad. I'm not gonna ditch you," began Yang, "It's just sometimes I need some me-time, you know?"

"…Yeah, same," said Blake.

Ghira and Tai just crossed their arms, and grumbled.

 **Jaune snorted.**

" **Yeah, well, can't get much 'further away' than this," said Jaune.**

" **All right, all right!"**

 **Jaune, Will, and the other marines stood up a little straighter, and a man with some stubble, and lilac eyes got on top of some nearby crates in front of the platoon. Just then, the floor around the man and the marines began to lower to the bowels of their air ship.**

"Dad?!" gasped Ruby and Yang.

"Ooh… I look good," said Tai.

While Ruby, Yang, and Qrow rolled their eyes, Raven tilted her head a little as she looked at Tai in uniform…

'He does look nice…' Raven shook her head, 'It's probably the combat vest making him look buffer.'

" **Listen up!" shouted Tai Yang, "We have our orders. Inserting in LZ Epsilon. Down and dirty, just like we taught you. Everybody know what's going on? Everybody know where they're going?!"**

" **Ooo-Rah!" Jaune, Will, and the others shouted.**

" **Everybody ready?!" asked Tai Yang.**

" **OOO-RAH!" the whole platoon shouted.**

" **Let's do this!" shouted Tai before pointed to Jaune and Will, "Arc, Ironwood, lead out!"**

"So, Will is an Ironwood," said Glynda.

"Must be a relative," said Qrow.

Ironwood racked his brains.

"I don't have any living relatives that have the name 'Will.' Not since my father passed…" thought Ironwood aloud.

"Maybe he's your kid," said Nora.

"That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" asked Ironwood

"Actually, she's quite right. In this universe, you have a son," confirmed Archie.

Archie's confirmation made Ironwod pause… He then smiled a little.

"I have a son…?" Ironwood thought aloud.

"Congratulations, James," said Glynda.

"Thank you, Glynda," said Ironwood.

" **Let's get it done," said Will.**

 **Jaune nodded, and the two men led the platoon out through door. The troops navigated illuminated hallways as the sirens to move went off. Jaune, Will, Tai, and one other soldier, Neptune, split off down a side passage to a drop pod.**

"Neptune's here too?" asked Sun.

"He looks… different in uniform," said Weiss with lightly pinked cheeks.

"See something you like?" teased Yang.

"T-That's hardly any concern of yours," muttered Weiss with flushed cheeks.

 **As the team entered the pod, the crackle of the intercom went off.**

" _ **All units, all units, this is Spaceman. Commencing drop in one mike."**_

" **Badger zero-one, standing by," said Tai in his helmet's radio.**

 **Jaune, and the rest of them started to strap into the small drop pod.**

" _ **All pods set to engage," said another voice.**_

" _ **Copy. Dropping at grid three-one-five niner, repeat three-one-five niner, cross checked and verified,"**_ **said Spaceman.**

" **Everyone hold on tight," said Tai once he finished strapping in, "Here we go."**

" _ **Be advised, enemy contact at 20,000 feet, five degrees west of drop point."**_

" **Just like in training, Arc," said Will, to Jaune's left.**

" **Let's hope I don't barf," joked Jaune.**

" **Yeah, let's hope you don't. We could get court martialed for the use of a chemical weapon," said Neptune.**

"Jaune doesn't feel sick in the air as much as he used to," said Ruby.

"It's because he's gotten used to the bullhead," said Pyrrha.

"I can imagine," said Winter, "New recruits in the military often have habits, or quirks, that are bad for the mission trained out of them. Those that can't get used to the lifestyle or physical demands of army are typically let go."

"Don't you mean kicked out?" said Ilia.

"Kicked out' is used for unruly louts who remain disruptive in training despite repeated warnings," said Winter.

"I guess Jaune got used to it, then," said Sun.

" **Cut the chatter, marines," ordered Tai.**

 **The three tamped down the banter.**

" _ **All pods ready. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, deploy, deploy, deploy,"**_ **said Spacemen.**

 **CA-LUNK-CA-CLANK**

 **They felt their pod drop, and shake, and they looked up. The roof of the pod flickered to life, and they saw their air ship on a series of screens in the roof.**

"Wow… With such a system, they could see where they are going," said Penny, "Does our military have a similar apparatus?"

"Not to my knowledge," said Winter.

"Someone did come up with an idea akin to this, but the council thought putting HD TV screens in a hypothetical drop pod it was too fatuous an idea," said Ironwood.

"So, that's a no?" asked Velvet.

"A resounding one," chuckled Ironwood.

 **Suddenly something collided with their air ship, and the bow ruptured. The force of the explosion created turbulence for their pod.**

" **God damn!" said Neptune.**

" **30 seconds to insertion point," said Tai.**

"Whoa, good thing they got deployed when they did," said Coco.

"They're not out of the woods yet," said Ironwood, "If something could hit the air ship, it can hit those pods too."

"That means, until they land, they're in danger?" asked Velvet.

"Depends on where they land," answered Raven, "No doubt the enemy will try to swarm a pod if they can."

Jaune's friends got nervous at Raven's words.

 **Jaune saw through the screen that several of the pods air jets attempt to correct their trajectory so they didn't fly off course.**

" **Hey," said Will, which got Jaune's attention, "See you on the other side."**

 **Jaune just nodded before he took deep breaths to steady himself. Jaune looked back to the screen. At the moment, they were just trailing through clouds, then the screens then flickered. They got a new view of the clouds, but with city lights faintly behind them.**

" **Let's see what the ground looks like," said Tai.**

 **Their pod burst through the clouds, and they saw the city. A missile zoomed past their view screen, and barely missed them. All they could see were anti-air rounds, machine gun tracer fire aimed up at them, and SAMs, surface-to-air missiles, aimed at them and their neighboring pods.**

"That's a lot of flak…" said Winter on the edge of her seat.

"Flak…?" asked Kali.

"It's another way to say 'anti-air," elaborated Winter.

" **Spaceman, I'm seeing heavy enemy fire in our drop path!" said Tai in the radio.**

" _ **Copy that, Badger zero-one, adjusting your trajectory,"**_ **said Spaceman.**

 **Just then a SAM flew by and grazed their pod. They were rocked a little when suddenly the door cracked open.**

"OH NO!" yelped Ruby.

 **Neptune, who was closest to the door, made to grab something, and only just made it when the door flew right open. Neptune was yanked toward the ajar door by the sudden shift in air pressure with so much force, that his seat belts became undone, and he hung on for dear life.**

"Whoa! It tore his seat belt!" said Ilia.

"Neptune, no!" gasped Weiss, fearful.

" **I got you!" shouted Tai, as he grabbed Neptune by the scruff of his uniform, "Arc, close the blast shields!"**

 **Jaune leaned toward the lever near Tai's head.**

" **Come on, Arc! Now!" shouted Tai.**

 **The lever was within grasp.**

" **ARC! NOW!"**

 **Jaune grabbed it, and yanked on the lever. As the sound of the lever's click reached Tai's ear, Tai Yang pulled hard, and Neptune was dropped to the floor as the blast door closed tight on their pod. Neptune quickly got to his feet and strapped back in.**

"Thank goodness," sighed Weiss.

"Yeah," added Tai, "That must have been some serious suction. If my counterpart's anything like me, I would have felt pretty shitty if the guy slipped from my hands."

"All's well that ends well," said Sun, relieved.

 **Tai quickly pulled handle above his head, which revealed a console just above the handle.**

" **Resetting drop point," said Tai as he pressed the buttons of a keypad before he pushed the handle and console into the holder over his head.**

 **The screen reset, and it revealed they were going to hit a skyscraper.**

" **Shit!" shouted Neptune.**

"Me and my big mouth," groaned Sun.

" **Brace yourselves!" said Tai.**

 **They burst through the wall, the marines saw they crashed through several floors until they burst out the other side of the building. They then saw another skyscraper, and were definitely going to collide with that as well.**

 **CRASH**

"That's gotta hurt," said Ilia.

"That pod seems designed to cushion a hard impact," said Ozpin in a reassuring manner, "At worse, it should only rattle them."

"Looks like you're right, Professor," said Pyrrha relieved, "He appears to be coming to."

" **Ugh…" Jaune groaned as he shook his head.**

 **There was a red light in the pod, and sparks began to crackle around them. That wasn't what worried Jaune though.**

" **You still in one piece?" asked Will to his left.**

" **We're at an angle…" said Jaune, "That can't be good. Our position isn't stable."**

"Landing at an angle into a building," began Glynda, "They need to be careful. I'm not sure the sides of that drop pod possesses the same cushion that the bottom would have."

" **I agree," said Tai, "We need to get out of this pod. Arc, get the door."**

 **Jaune undid one strap of his harness, followed by another. Gravity pulled him forward, but he caught something, leaned into a balanced footing, and carefully made his way over to the door. He got to the entrance that nearly sucked out Neptune, braced himself onto the door frame, and began to kick.**

 **BANG… The door creaked.**

"Whoa, is Jaune that strong here?" asked Coco.

"…No," said Blake, "Did anyone hear that small whine before he kicked?"

"I did. It was mechanical," said Velvet.

 **BANG… The door dented.**

"There it is again," said Velvet.

"Oh!" gasped Penny in realization, "It's that suit that Mr. Arc, and each soldier wears in this universe. It must enhance his physical strength and reflexes."

"It's like that combat suit that Jaune wore in that one with the invading aliens, then?" asked Ruby.

"Yes," said Winter, "It's just less grandiose."

"Hmm… That suit, unlike the one earlier, seems more feasible," began Ironwood, "Penny, Winter, take note of it."

"Yes, sir!" declared Penny.

Winter nodded.

 **BANG!**

 **The door popped off, and Jaune was grateful he held onto the frame. He could see the city, and the fact that their large pod was only barely in the building.**

" **Shit…" was all Jaune could say.**

 **Jaune looked up, and fiery debris, and drop pods that weren't so lucky fell from the sky. A VTOL approached their pod, and Jaune noticed the markings.**

" **Friendlies," sighed Jaune, relieved.**

 **Jaune turned around, and saw that Tai, Will, and Neptune were already free of their harnesses, and held onto whatever was on the walls to hold steady. Tai was the first to move, and Jaune made way for his sergeant.**

" _ **Badger squad, the North Koreans have invaded the city, and are pushing toward your position. Watch out for fire teams in your AO,"**_ **said Spaceman into their radios as Tai jumped down, rifle readied upon landing on the floor one story beneath them.**

" **Copy that. Keep your eyes open, team," said Tai.**

 **Jaune leapt next, followed by Will, and then Neptune.**

" **Look out!" shouted Will.**

 **Jaune pulled Neptune to him, as the pod fell off its dent into the building. It landed where Neptune stood just a moment ago before it rolled off the building to land in the concrete streets.**

" **Thanks," said Neptune as he got to his feet.**

" **Damn, that was close," said Will who patted Neptune on the shoulder.**

"Poor guy," said Sun, "First he nearly gets sucked out in midair, then he almost gets crushed."

"And I thought I had bad luck," said Qrow.

"Hmph. Neptune is actually quite resourceful," said Weiss, "I think you don't give him enough credit."

 **The three got their rifles ready as Tai Yang approached.**

" **Okay, we need to get our feet on the ground and link up with Demo Team One," said Tai.**

" **Yes sir!" said Will.**

 **Jaune and his fellow marines moved through the building, and into a hallway. They heard voices and immediately took cover.**

" **Friendlies…?" asked Neptune.**

 **They heard Korean… then saw red lasers wave through the hall.**

" **Nope," said Jaune.**

" **Contact. Contact," said Tai, who opened fire.**

 **Jaune looked down the holographic sights of his rifle, and opened fire. The firefight that ensued was a bob and weave. One side took cover, and the other took shots. However, the battle tilted in the favor of Jaune and his fellow marines. With their superior gear, they managed to pick the enemy one soldier at a time until they began to panic and fight more recklessly.**

 **One by one, the enemy fell until the last North Korean soldier died.**

" **Clear," said Tai.**

 **Jaune followed Tai through the office building until they reached a dead end with a long drop to the floor.**

" **We got a sheer drop on this side," Jaune heard Will, "There's a clear spot over here."**

 **Jaune and the others looked down at the direction Will pointed.**

" **We'll have to jump down. Everyone get your boosters ready," said Tai.**

"Boosters?" asked Ruby excitedly, "That thing has a jet pack?"

"Obviously not," said Weiss, "It would be far too bulky and cumbersome."

 **Jaune relinquished one hand off his rifle, and gripped a part of his exo-suit.**

" **Remember, short bursts to control your fall," said Tai, before he jumped.**

"Where's the booster?" freaked out Yang as she watched her father's counterpart continue to plummet.

 **Jaune, Neptune, and Will followed, and went into free fall. Two stories before they hit the floor, they activated their suit's boosters. A gas canister that blended in with the spine of the suit, fed gas into two miniature jets along the "hip" of the suit. The jets released the gas, and the four marines slowed steadily until they landed safely on the ground.**

"Sweet! My own jet pack," cheered Tai.

"The design is so elegantly simple too!" added Ruby with starry eyes.

"Economical, simple, and best of all, effective," marveled Ironwood.

"Don't worry, sir!" reassured Penny, "I am making a mental note."

"I as well," said Winter.

 **Jaune and the others got their rifles ready as Tai approached.**

" **Everyone up?" asked Tai. They nodded, "Command post should be up ahead."**

 **Jaune looked out the door, and saw a massive number of marines, Humvees, and tents.**

" **Hell of an understatement," muttered Jaune.**

 **Will and Neptune snickered little, and the former clapped Jaune's shoulder before the three of them made their way to the gathering of their fellow soldiers. As they approached from the building, the ground shook with tremors from the impacts of falling debris and drop pods. A missile flew over them, but missed and hit a building in a corner that rattled a few soldiers. Jets flew overhead as well, in preparation for another attack run.**

"I wonder if this is what the Great War was like," said Sun.

"Not likely," said Tai, "The equipment's too different to make the old en masse tactics of the Great War viable."

"Indeed," said Ironwood, "It wouldn't surprise me if they had ordinance that could take out a whole platoon with precision guidance."

 **The four approached a command tent, and someone turned to face them.**

" **Who the hell are you guys?" a commander asked.**

" **Badger squad, 227** **th** **! Providing support for Demo Team One!" said Tai.**

" **They're already on the move!" said the commander over the noise of the battle, "Thought you guys were fragged!"**

" **What's their position?" asked Tai as the commander checked a screen with a map of all the platoons' positions.**

" **Two clicks northwest at grid 775!"**

 **Tai turned to them, and Jaune and the others got ready.**

" **All right, we're moving!" said Tai.**

 **Jaune followed, and the four ran out of the forward operating base, and through piles of debris into the battlefield.**

" _ **Badger zero-one, be advised: we are tracking a drone swarm heading your way,"**_ **said Spaceman.**

"Drones?" asked Ruby, "The cute remote control toys that's on ads all the time."

"I somehow doubt that's the case," said Glynda, "A swarm makes it sound threatening."

"Didn't someone from R&D propose something similar to the military brass?" asked Winter.

"There was, when I was a colonel," said Ironwood, "I thought it was great idea, but the man fumbled in his pitch that the brass disregarded it. Furthermore, with the advancements with the Atlesian Knights, the council thinks that a drone program would be overkill."

"They're idiots," said Raven, "Anyone who turns down anything to give them an edge in battle is doomed to die."

" **Copy that," said Tai, "Everyone, keep your eyes open."**

 **As soon as they cleared the debris field, they were greeted with enemy tracer fire wizzing over their head.**

" **Contact! Watch your head!" shouted Will.**

 **The four took cover and returned fire. Jaune moved to a bus stop where one of its ad for fine Italian suits provided sufficient cover for him to peer out to the side and hold down some enemies attempting to flank them. Jaune heard a second rifle over his head, and gunning down the North Koreans. When the last one fell, Jaune felt a tap on his shoulder and he got to his feet.**

 **Jaune and Will leap frogged: one laid suppressing fire while the other took cover before they too got up to lay suppressing fire for their partner to move for cover. They flanked the North Korean position, and cleared them out, and as the rest of the team arrived, they heard the low rumble of friendly tanks driving over the mess of debris on the streets.**

 **Jaune and the others moved alongside the tanks until the heard a harsh buzzing noise. A black angry cloud twisted about like an eastern dragon, and tracer fire erupted rained toward them.**

" **Drones! Drones! Holy shit!" shouted Neptune.**

" **Grab cover! Grab cover!" Jaune heard Tai Yang order.**

 **The four hid behind some busted cars as explosions from the heavy drone fire erupted around them.**

"It's like a bee swarm," said Ilia.

"The noise alone, would be unsettling," said Ghira in agreement.

"I need to look into that proposal again," muttered Ironwood.

"Before you do, you might want to see how to deal with it," pointed out Tai Yang.

" **Someone, get on that turret!" shouted Tai over the swarm as he pointed off into the distance.**

 **Jaune followed Tai's finger to an abandoned tank toward a dead end in the road.**

" **Cover me!" said Jaune.**

" **You got it!" answered Will.**

 **As Will and Neptune fired into the swarm, Jaune ran toward an open car door. With the extra strength his exo-suit gave him, he tore it off, and used it as a shield.**

"That suit has a lot of utility," said Glynda.

"Indeed," said Ozpin, "Hmm… If utilized properly, it could give even the average soldier a better chance to hold off a Grimm on their own."

"And if used in whole teams, we could have a force to supplement the world's huntsmen," added Winter.

"What a great idea," said Ghira.

 **The drones banged over the door as the swarm strafed, and Jaune got to the tank. He tossed the door at the swarm to given him a moment to get in the tank, and he closed the hatch after him just before the drones banged against the turret.**

" _ **Keep those drones off us!"**_ **shouted Tai in Jaune's radio,** _ **"Need to buy time for the EMP to charge up!"**_

" **Yes sir!" said Jaune in his radio.**

 **Jaune got the controls, and maneuvered the turret about to get a feel for the damaged tank's responsiveness.**

" **All right, take this!" said Jaune.**

 **He aimed at the swarm, and pulled the trigger. Whole clusters of drones fell from the air, but now that the drones were hit, they redirected their attention to Jaune. The damaged tank was pelted with tracer fire, and even by drones doing kamikaze attacks. The tank was rattled, and Jaune saw a few rivets pop off.**

" **Damn…" cursed Jaune, who redirected his attention toward the swarm, "Come on… Yes!"**

 **On the turret's HUD, a meter marked "Rebooting System" appeared on the screen, and began to fill.**

" _ **We see the system restarted,"**_ **said Tai,** _ **"Keep firing, the EMP needs to charge."**_

" **Charge is at 50%!" said Jaune into his radio.**

"Come on, Jaune! Get that high score!" cheered Nora.

"Nora this a serious battle. It's not a video game," said Ren.

"Don't tell me this doesn't remind you of Star Horde," said Nora.

"…I will admit there is a similarity," said Ren.

 **Jaune kept firing, and the meter kept rising.**

" **75%... 90%..." listed off Jaune.**

 **The meter disappeared, and new message appeared.**

 **EMP Charged**

" _ **Fire it off!"**_ **shouted Tai.**

 **Jaune pulled a lever, and there was a ripple in the air. The once fluid swarm of drones veered off midflight, or just fell and skidded to the ground.**

"So an EMP charge takes it out?" asked Pyrrha, "Wouldn't it also disrupt the gear of Jaune's side?"

Her semblance, polarity, could short circuits, but only if she had time to concentrate. Given the fast-paced combat in the arenas, it wasn't the most viable technique in her repertoire, though she could pull it off.

"Not if the equipment was protected," said Penny, "If there are magnets that emit a positive to positive, or negative to negative charge, the equipment would be quite safe."

"So each troop would have their own magnetic field?" asked Ren.

"Precisely," said Penny, "It's probably generated by the suit."

 **Jaune opened the hatch, and got out to greet Tai, Will, and Neptune.**

" **Good job, kid," said Tai.**

" **Yes sir!" said Jaune, who then followed his team.**

 **They approached a road blocked by vans, and they used their exo-suit's boosters to jump over it before they moved through the street to approach a hotel.**

" **We need to move through this hotel," said Tai.**

 **They moved through the lobby quickly and methodically to make sure no one would follow them.**

" **Clear," said Will.**

" **Clear," said Neptune.**

" **Cle-"**

 **Smash… Crash…**

 **Jaune looked up to see zip-lines shatter the windows, and dig into the floors above them.**

" **Zipliners coming in!" shouted Will.**

" **Open fire!" shouted Tai.**

 **Jaune pointed his gun up, and opened fire on the incoming soldiers on the zip-lines.**

"Enemy troops on zipliners…" mused Winter.

"In an urban setting like this, they could get the drop on anyone at any time," said Ironwood.

"Maybe," began Ilia, "But it's way too flashy an entrance. Simply rappelling would be better for an ambush."

"Learned from experience, did you?" frowned Ironwood.

"No. We saw Jaune pull it off in the last army one where I got blown up, remember?" responded Ilia.

"Oh yeah…" said everyone, and Ilia rolled her eyes.

 **They managed to pick a few of them off, but several were able to land and threw grenades.**

" **Take cover!" shouted Jaune.**

 **The four marines hid behind the nearest cover possible. The enemy grenades went off, but the suppressing fire that their enemy laid out into the lobby was too great for them to risk peeking out of.**

" **Will, they aren't as focused on you. Use one of your smart grenades," said Jaune in their radio.**

" **On it," said Will.**

 **Will pulled out a long canister, and pushed a button to arm it.**

 **Will threw it at the enemy, and the grenade suddenly floated as mini jets made it hover for a moment, before it changed trajectory to the largest cluster of enemies and it exploded.**

"A grenade with a guidance system?" asked Ruby, surprised and excited.

"Oh… that is a novel idea," said Penny.

"Wouldn't it also be expensive?" asked Weiss, "The guidance system alone would be worth, at minimum, a few hundred lien."

"True. It would be a waste, considering the weapon blows up," said Coco.

"Disregard it, Miss Polendina," said Winter.

"But it's still cool…" grumbled Ruby.

 **With enemy suppressing fire disrupted, Jaune saw Neptune break from cover, and pick off two disoriented soldiers on their left. Jaune broke cover next, and moved. He noticed movement on the right and took out an enemy before he could get up.**

" **Nice throw, Will," said Tai.**

 **Will nodded, and the four continued to move. They made their way toward a stairwell, and saw the North Koreans had established a position on the high ground. The team fought their way up the stairs. Jaune, Will, and Neptune all tossed smart grenades to soften up the enemy. Once the enemy squads were rattled, they ran up the stairs, and each of them veered into a different tier of balconies to clear the area. The ones in the top floor, who regained their senses were quickly taken down by Tai Yang. When the last soldier went down, Tai approached a window, and pointed to the building across the street that had its walls blasted down.**

" **We need to cross over to the other side," said Tai, "Get your boosters ready."**

 **Tai shot a few bullets into glass to crack the pane, and he kicked it with his boot. The glass pane fell and rattled in like rain. When the downpour of glass finished, Tai jumped to the other side, and used his boosters to alternate between hovering, and pushing through the air.**

" **Only live once," said Will, who ran across, "Woo-HOO!"**

" **Showoff…" said Neptune as they saw Will land, "He thinks he's so cool."**

" **Look who's talking," muttered Jaune who followed his friend.**

"I know," groaned Sun, "My team and I love him, but Neptune thinks he too cool for us sometimes. Fortunately, Sage, Scarlet, and I are they keep his head out of the clouds."

"He's not that bad," said Weiss.

"You think so? Take him to a clothing store, and you'll see what we mean," said Sun.

 **Jaune landed hard at the other side of gap, and Neptune followed behind with a smoother landing.**

" **This is nothing like basic, huh Arc?" asked Will.**

" **This whole city is fucked," said Neptune.**

" **Secure that shit," scolded Tai Yan, "Keep moving."**

 **The three followered their sergeant through the new building. They moved quietly through the ruins of what was once a law office until they came upon a massive hole in the side of the building. Suddenly something rose up from the window, and they all took cover behind some of the office furniture.**

" **Havoc launcher, dead ahead," said Neptune.**

 **The four saw a massive tank-like vehicle float up on its aerial engines. It was white with black and yellow markings, with four sets of tracks and sloped armor all around.**

"Cool. A floating tank!" said Sun.

"That thing must have quite a propulsion system to float like that," said Ilia.

"How do you know?" asked Blake.

"My parents were SDC miners, remember? Equipment like that operates with complex machinery and engines just to move," said Ilia.

"Indeed. But I would wager such a vehicle would require an immense amount of dust in order to be operable," said Penny.

"Given the scale of such a vehicle, too much to make it a practical, mass produced mainstay in any military. The cost to taxpayers alone would be cause for a riot," said Ozpin.

"Agreed," said Ironwood as Winter, and Glynda nodded.

 **It had a shell in the back, and Jaune couldn't help but whistle at the sight of multiple artillery barrels that were tucked away as it closed.**

" **That things packing enough heat to hold back an air fleet," said Jaune.**

" **Thinks it's the same one that hit our pod?" asked Will.**

" **I don't know, but that's our target," said Tai, "We need to find our demo team."**

 **As the mobile artillery floated away, the four marines approached the broken wall and looked down. The street had a massive sinkhole, with what appeared to be several more underground levels beneath the city, also busted in.**

" **They took out the whole street," remarked Will.**

" **The North Koreans are knocking out major roads. We're going to have to get around this sinkhole to get to the commercial district," said Tai.**

" **There are supposed underground shelters in the city in the event of an attack. You think one of those levels was one?" asked Jaune.**

" **God help them if it was," said Tai.**

"How terrifying. To go to a place of safety, only to be buried in it," said Glynda.

"It sounds a pathetic way to go," scoffed Raven, "The people in the city should take up arms and fight back instead of hiding. The numbers alone would give any invader pause."

"You're all heart, Raven," said Tai sarcastically.

 **Jaune gulped before he followed his team to the depths of the street beneath them. As they finished their controlled landing with the exo suits' boosters, Tai patched into the radio.**

" **Demo Team One, this is Badger zero-one! Are you there, over?"**

"— _ **hear you Badger zero-one! We are approaching the Havok launcher position! Sending you vidlink coordinates now!"**_

 **Jaune and the others lowered their visors, and a series of coordinates appeared in their respective HUDs. It highlighted their position, and the trajectory of the Havoc, and the position of the demo team.**

" **Copy, we are receiving," said Tai, as he and the others pushed up their visors, "We are proceeding on foot, ETA fifteen mikes.**

" _ **Copy that. We are strongholding our position, over!"**_ **responded the demo team's leader, as the marines moved.**

" **Okay, let's hustle, Badger team," said Tai Yang as the transmission ended, "We'll cut through to the subway level to avoid enemy armor and artillery."**

" **Yes, sir," said Jaune.**

 **Tai waved it off, and jumped down into the sinkhole with controlled bursts from his suit's propulsion system. The team descended further down into the sinkhole until they reached the subway level. They followed the train track, and true to Jaune's prediction, they met the enemy. They took cover for a moment, and waited for the patrol to close in.**

" **I see three… No drone support…" said Neptune as he peered out a corner.**

" **Wait for them to leave…" said Tai.**

 **Soon enough, they did, and Will nodded to the others. The four immediately broke cover, and opened fire. It was a short skirmish: Jaune and Neptune took out one each, and the third who managed to turn around, were shot once in the head by Tai, and twice in the chest by Will.**

" **Let's move," said Tai.**

 **The team stepped over the dead enemies to proceed down the tunnels.**

"You'd think that the enemy soldiers would notice four people with mini jet packs descend from the sky," said Weiss.

"In the chaos of a battlefield, there are a lot of sights and noise going on at once. Even the best trained soldiers can miss something," said Ozpin.

"That's correct," said Ironwood, "In our operations to beat back grimm in Solitas, I fought alongside and led troops into battle. Sometimes, the missions go without a hitch, others… There's always that one grimm that you never see coming."

"Yeah," said Qrow.

"Those ones are the roughest to deal with," added Tai in agreement.

"Then we'll be sure to keep our eyes peeled in all our missions," said Ruby.

"Same here!" said Nora, "Nothing'll get the drop on us."

" **Through the subway car," said Tai as he hopped on the derailed car, "Clear."**

 **Jaune and the others followed. As they exited, they heard a clang, and the team immediately crouched.**

" **They're popping smoke! Toss a Threat Grenade!" said Tai.**

 **Jaune pulled out a canister, and he looked at the label. It read "Smart," and so, he twisted a dial at the top of the metal cylinder until the label read "Threat." Jaune pushed a button, and tossed it into the cloud.**

" **Visor down!" shouted Jaune.**

 **PING…**

 **Jaune and the team lowered their visors, and immediately, their visor's HUD displayed the heat signatures of all the enemies in the area.**

"That seems more practical than the grenade with the guidance system," said Winter, who remembered the grenade from earlier.

"Yes," said Ironwood, "It would certainly justify installing a computing system in a large canister to be thrown."

" **Take 'em out!" shouted Will.**

 **The four didn't even bother going to cover. With their visors down, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. They moved as they were trained, but they did so silently, and practically took them down execution style.**

"That was so one-sided it wasn't even funny," said Blake.

"But it does send a message to anyone who would dare to challenge them," said Raven, "Face us, and we will crush you."

"I don't know if I should be happy, or scared that we agree on something," said Qrow.

"The second for me, if you mean what you say," shuddered Raven.

 **After they cleared the area, they went up a set of stairs, and approached a terminal station. There they were greeted with the sight of dozens of dead civilians, all them either gunned down or executed.**

" **Shit," growled Will, "The bastards killed them all."**

" **Stay focused," reminded Tai, with a heavy voice, "Nothing we can do for them right now."**

"It's just like the last military one," shuddered Ghira.

"Innocent people gunned down. For what?" asked Kali.

"To send a message," said Blake.

"Or just because they could," growled Velvet.

"That too," shuddered Blake.

" **The sooner we win, the sooner the fighting ends. Right, sir?" said Jaune.**

" **That's right," said Tai, "One battle, and mission, at a time."**

"Indeed," said Ozpin, "You are correct in your assessment, Miss Belladonna. However, the sight of such atrocity can send another message as well. One that will galvanize resistance to such tyranny."

"That's true too," murmured Ilia.

 **The four made their way to a locked gate.**

" **Arc, get that gate open," said Tai.**

 **Jaune got to the gate while the others had their weapons ready to cover him in case of an ambush. Jaune's exo-suit was about to help him lift it up when suddenly, the ceiling on the other side lit up, and caved. Jaune backed off as several men descended from the new breach, and one of them aimed at him. Jaune was about to lift up his own rifle, when Will cut into his vision, hands on his gun's barrel.**

" **Check fire! Blue, blue!" said Will.**

 **Jaune relaxed a little, but Tai Yang moved forward.**

" **ID yourselves," said Tai.**

" **Qrow Branwen, Atlas PMC rescue force. We're transporting a principle," responded the man who had aimed at Jaune.**

"Uncle Qrow?!" "Qrow?" said Ruby and Yang, and Tai Yang respectively.

"Atlas?" gasped Weiss, and Winter.

"PMC?!" choked Ironwood.

"What does PMC mean?" asked Coco, confused by the general's reaction.

"It means: Private Military Company," answered Glynda.

"Mercenaries…" grumbled Ironwood.

"That too," said Glynda.

"A Merc, eh?" mused Qrow, "I can see that."

"You have the look of one," said Raven.

"Look who's talking," scoffed Qrow.

 **Two more soldiers leapt down as a business man was lowered gently from the breach. Qrow bent down, and lifted the gate more easily than Jaune did. Jaune blinked a little and looked at his own exo-suit, and back at Qrow's with a tinge of envy.**

" **How's the weather southside?" asked Tai.**

" **It's a fucking mess," said Qrow, "Better odds taking the east tunnel out."**

" **Copy that," nodded Tai.**

" **Good luck," said Qrow before he turned to his team, "Let's move."**

" **On me," said Tai to his.**

 **Jaune and the others followed Tai through to the east stairwell.**

" **Atlas," piped up Neptune, "Will, isn't that your dad's company?"**

" **Yep," said Will, a little exasperated.**

"Wait… What?!" gasped Ironwood.

"It appears you have a successful business," said Ozpin.

"Ugh… First our kingdom shares the same name with a mercenary company, now I find that I run it?" groaned Ironwood, who felt a headache.

"War is kind of your thing," teased Qrow.

"…If there's one good thing about it, it's that you apparently work for me," muttered Ironwood.

"…Shit," muttered Qrow.

Ozpin and Glynda chuckled a little at the banter, but they did understand James' concern. The man was a patriot for Atlas, a man who served because it was both his duty and pleasure. For him to find himself as a leader of soldiers of fortune was upsetting for him.

" **They got the best gear, the best pay. Why'd you never join?" asked Neptune.**

" **I wanted to serve my country. Not my old man," answered Will.**

Ironwood couldn't help but beam at that.

"Looks like there's trouble in paradise," said Tai.

"I don't think he minds," said Ghira, who gestured with his thumb.

Tai turned a head to see that the general had a relieved smile on his face.

" **Cut the chatter," said Tai as he took cover with a fist raised, "We've got movement ahead."**

 **Jaune and the team found themselves in bright-colored district with restaurants, bars, karaoke joints and arcades. Enemy soldiers patrolled the roads, and the team crouched down.**

" **Patrol. Drop 'em," said Tai.**

 **Jaune immediately took aim, and fired, followed by Tai, Will, and Neptune. The lights of the district now had tracer fire added to its bright kaleidoscope of colors, and where pop music once ruled, the drumming of gunfire now sang through the streets along with the cries of falling enemy soldiers. The patrol down, the team moved through the streets.**

" **More coming in," said Neptune on his radio.**

 **The team turned and caught movement. Enemy soldiers took up positions and fired from cafes, and bars. What made the marine duck for cover though was the armored patrol vehicle with its 30 caliber gun.**

" **Jaune take out the gunner. I'll see how many are in the café!" said Neptune as he grabbed his grenade and turned the dial.**

" **Got it. Will, take out the wheels and the driver!" said Jaune.**

" **Right. On three; one… two… THREE!"**

 **Jaune and Will broke from cover, and using their drilled reflexes, aimed and…**

 **BANG**

 **BANG… BANG-BANG-BANG**

 **The gunner and driver didn't stand a chance, and the front wheels released air and rendered the car inoperable. The two were about to cheer when the crackle of the threat grenade of Neptune went off. They instead lowered their visors, and saw two enemies in the upper floor of the café, and the rest of the enemy squad in the first floor.**

" **Jaune, rattle the ones up top, then help Will find us a path. Neptune will take the first floor with me," said Tai.**

" **Yes, sir," said Jaune, who pulled out a grenade, and set it to "smart."**

 **Jaune shot three holes into an upper window before he tossed. As before the grenade hovered before flying in, and going off. The two upper floor signatures immediately went dark.**

"Those grenades… Even though one of them isn't practical, it' still cool to see," said Ruby.

"I know… Though I do have some ideas on how to use such grenades with dust. The tube-shape does provide a nice container for such a weapon," said Penny.

"That might be more difficult than you think, given the dust market," said Weiss, "My father might support the Atlas military, but the use of dust as a hand grenade would be seen by any dust dealer as a waste of resources, especially when one considers how useful it is an energy source for civilization and a means of killing grimm."

"But it could help eradicate more grimm! Besides, I have a grenade launcher," pointed out Nora.

"Exactly," said Weiss, which caught Nora off guard, "There's a difference between tossing a grenade, and firing it. If the goal was to simply kill grimm, would it not be better served in a more controllable delivery device? At least with ammunition that can be aimed, you have a better chance of eradication, as opposed to a timed charge that may, or may not inflict damage on an enemy, depending on far they are from blast radius?"

"Hmm… You make a good point there," said Pyrrha.

"Not to mention, if you throw from cover without looking, the grenade may not even land near the enemy," added Coco.

"…True, I guess," said Nora.

" **Upper floor secure," said Jaune.**

" **Good. Neptune, on me," said Tai.**

" **Yes, sir!" said Neptune.**

 **As the two moved into the café, Jaune and will went through the streets. The two came across an incoming squad of North Koreans, and they took cover. Will tossed another threat grenade, and they got a good view of where they were. They laid suppressing fire on them initially, but when Jaune felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned to see Tai and Neptune had arrived.**

" **That was fast," said Jaune.**

" **Not too old yet," said Tai, "There, the scaffolding by the noodle house, flank them there. I'll cover you."**

" **Yes, sir!" said Jaune.**

 **As Jaune moved a voice came into their radio.**

" _ **Badger, where the hell are you? We're getting torn up! Need fire support-!"**_

 **Jaune moved in, and took out three unsuspecting enemy soldiers in quick succession. The rest of the patrol noticed and turned to face him, but Tai, Will, and Neptune took them out before they could fire off their rifles at Jaune.**

" **Demo Team One! Come in!" responded Tai on the radio, "Shit. We gotta move it!"**

"Do you think they're okay?" asked Ruby, worried.

"That didn't sound good," added Sun.

"No, it didn't. They need to boogie if they're going to make it in time," said Tai.

"…Did you just say 'boogie?" asked Yang, horrified.

"It's a legitimate term!" said Tai.

"A little out of place though, given the situation," said Kali.

 **The team cut through a three-story strip mall, and went up a flight of stairs to the upper floors. They passed through a ruined lounge bar to get to the coordinates of the demolition team.**

" **We need to get eyes on the demo team. Arc, over here," said Tai, as he approached and crouched by a shattered window.**

 **Jaune joined him, and pulled out a set of binoculars. He could see the Havoc launcher had set up, it's artillery barrels pointed into the air. There were several patrols around the thing to protect it from enemy fire as well.**

" **There's the Havoc launcher," said Tai, as Jaune saw the artillery piece fire off, "The demo team should be nearby.**

 **As Jaune slowly surveyed they area, he saw a number of dead marines.**

" **Over there," said Will, "Shit… they're KIA."**

"So much for blowing the cannon," said Nora, a little disappointed.

"Poor guys. They must have been overwhelmed while the team fought hard to get there," said Tai.

"They can still complete their mission though, right?" asked Sun.

"Handling explosives with little training is dangerous," said Winter, "Conventional military doctrine in Atlas would be to wait for a trained handler to arrive."

"Wouldn't that take time?" asked Ruby, "That launcher could take out more airships."

"Unfortunately, yes," sighed Winter.

" **Okay, okay," sighed Tai, but there was still an edge in his voice as well, "I can see their explosive packs. We can still do this."**

" **Sir, we aren't a demolitions team," voiced Neptune.**

" **No we're not," agreed Tai, "But if we wait for another demo team, that launcher will have moved to another location."**

"Go dad!" cheered Ruby, which made Tai's chest puff up in pride.

"So much for following military doctrine," said Ilia.

"Perhaps their military trains their soldiers to take initiative when opportunity presents itself," said Ozpin.

"Wouldn't that cause confusion?" asked Weiss.

"It could, but it could also yield victory in ways conventional wisdom wouldn't allow," said Ozpin.

" **I'll get the charges, sir," declared Will, "Just give me cover."**

 **Jaune and the others turned to Will, in surprise.**

" **You sure, Will?" asked Tai.**

" **Yeah. I can make it," said Will.**

" **Not without me you aren't," said Jaune immediately, "Someone's got to keep you from doing some crazy Rambo shit."**

" **You're one to talk," scoffed Will.**

"They such good friends," said Ruby, "It's like watching Weiss, and me."

"Weiss and I," corrected Weiss.

"See!" said Ruby, "She even cares about my grammar!"

"You can have the strangest standards sometimes," Weiss groaned.

Winter snickered discreetly at the chemistry between her sister and her leader, and Ironwood couldn't help but agree with Ruby's words. The two were indeed good friends, and though Will wasn't his, it made Ironwood happy.

 **Tai snorted, but took a breath.**

" **Okay," began Tai, "Arc, you're with Will. Neptune and I will cover your movements."**

" **Let's do it!" said Will.**

 **Jaune got to his feet, and the two marines leapt from the building and descended to the ground in bursts. As they landed, and beelined for the explosives, Tai and Neptune provided support from above. Neptune checked the enemy in near the launcher, while Tai focused on the enemies near the dead demo team. The only time Jaune, or Will, stalled in their goal was when they had to take cover from any enemies that weren't stalled by their two comrades.**

 **Jaune saw a door from a car, and tapped Will's shoulders.**

" **Pirate ship?" asked Jaune as he pointed to the door.**

" **Pirate ship," nodded Will with a nasty smile.**

"What's a pirate ship?" asked Ilia.

"One of the most annoying strategies to go up against in the MOBA game Oversight," said Sun.

"Translation?" asked Coco, "Not all of us speak nerd."

 **Jaune made for the door, and tore it off from the car. Jaune held it an angle to give them cover, and from behind, Will took shots at the enemy as they moved.**

"That's a 'pirate ship," said Sun, "One guy provides cover while another fires on the move."

"It's an effective strategy," said Ironwood.

"It's great when you use it," agreed Sun, "When Neptune and I go up against it in the game, we get people who rage quit on us in the middle of the match."

"Ugh, I hate when that happens," said Yang.

 **Eventually, they got to the dead demo team, and Jaune threw the door at several approaching North Koreans.**

 **CRACK**

 **Jaune couldn't help but wince.**

" **Too hard…?" he asked.**

" **Meh…" shrugged Will, who then turned to see what they had to work with, "Timed charges. Grab 'em."**

 **As they did, Tai came in on the radio.**

" _ **Will, that launcher is heavily armored. You're going to have to find an access panel and plant the charges inside it,"**_ **said Tai.**

" **Copy that, sir. Arc, on me! Let's make sure these men didn't die for nothing," said Will as he charged in.**

" **Will, wait… Damnit!" said Jaune as he followed in after his friend.**

"How reckless can that man be? Acting in a cavalier manner without consulting his comrades," said Ironwood.

Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow stared at Ironwood in a deadpan manner.

"What?" asked Ironwood.

"He's definitely your son," said Glynda.

"Indeed," sighed Ozpin.

Ironwood did drag an entire air fleet and expeditionary force to Vale for the festival after all.

 **The path to the launcher was a chaotic mess. Jaune and Will went through cover to avoid getting torn apart by tracer fire from enemy rifles and machine guns. Jaune tossed two threat grenades, and they saw just how heavily defended the launcher was. There were easily three full patrols with heavy weapons guarding it. However, when they saw that some of them were firing at Neptune, and Tai Yang's position, Will and Jaune took shots at the distracted enemies first.**

" _ **Xiao Long, that launcher is tearing us apart! What's your status?"**_ **asked Spaceman in a desperate voice.**

" _ **Demo Team is KIA. We're attempting to complete the mission ourselves,"**_ **responded Tai.**

 **Eventually, the four marines were able to whittle down enemy resistance, but just then, two large drones flew in, each armed with miniaturized miniguns, and large red camera lenses. The firepower was intimidating, and gave a chirping sound. However, Jaune and Will had chosen their cover well, and were safe.**

" _ **Guys… Those drones have powerful guns, but it operates like a clock. Find the break in the bursts, and you can take them down. We'll clear up the enemy soldiers from here,"**_ **said Neptune.**

" **Got it," said Will.**

 **Jaune peeked out when the guns stopped firing, and he opened fire. He missed, but observed how the drone switched placed with its partner. Each movement was choreographed and measured, and Jaune took cover when the drones aimed at him.**

"The swarm was more frightening, if I'm being honest," said Tai, "Those just look like a big whack-a-mole game."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?" asked Ghira.

"I don't think the moles shoot back if you miss," said Kali.

"Actually, there is a mole grimm, known to shoot dirt from its mouth. Mixed with its spit, the projectile's as hard as concrete," said Ozpin.

"Seriously?" asked Tai, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang with interested expressions.

"…Blake, are you sure you want to be a huntress?" asked Kali, worried.

"Mom…" groaned Blake.

" **I counted five seconds," said Will over the drone's gunfire.**

" **Five?" asked Jaune, "That's generous."**

 **The gunfire stopped, and Jaune and Will broke from cover. They unloaded their clips on the drones, and the two drones blew up. They made their way to the launcher, and went up a flight concrete stairs. Jaune tensed as a North Korean soldiers aimed his gun at him from the flank.**

 **BANG**

 **The North Korean dropped dead, and Jaune saw Will behind him with a smoking pistol.**

" **So, who's watching whose ass?" asked Will.**

"… **Thanks," said Jaune.**

 **The two approached the launcher, and took note of all the dead soldiers around.**

" **Wow, Neptune and the sergeant really did a number on these guys," said Will.**

" **Yeah," said Jaune, who then looked to the lauhcner, "There an access panel there."**

 **Will saw where he pointed, and climbed onto one of the launcher's ground tracks. Using his exo suit, Will opened it, and turned to Jaune.**

" **Arc, over here," said Will.**

 **Jaune climbed up to meet Will, and handed the charges to him. Will set the charge, and it blinked red. Will stuck the charge on the inner wall near some wiring and fuel tubes.**

" **Okay, timer's set," said Will as he pulled his arm back, "Give me the-"**

 **SHEEE-CRACK**

" **AHHH!" cried out Will as the panel slammed hard on his wrist before he completely pulled out.**

Ironwood, and everyone but Raven gasped, at the development.

" **Will!" shouted Jaune as he got to his friend.**

" **Ah, shit," cursed Will, "Damn, I think my arm's broken. Rgh… It fucking hurts!"**

 **Jaune got his hands on the panel, followed by Will's free hand.**

" **Okay, pull!" shouted Will.**

 **The arms, powered by exo suits pulled, but the panel did not budge.**

 **Beep… beep… beep… beep-beep… beep-beep…**

" **Shit," cursed Will, "Don't worry about that timer. One more time. Pull."**

 **The tried again…**

"Come on, that suit should be giving them a strength boost right?" asked Yang.

"Maybe it's an older model…" said Winter.

"Huh?" asked Ruby.

"Remember what that soldier stated earlier? About Atlas having the best gear?" began Winter, "The advancements of technology in the private sector often outpace anything conducted by a public sector institution, even the military, due to the bureaucracy. We saw it in the subway when Branwen's counterpart easily opened a gate that Mr. Arc struggled with."

"So, because Jaune's using something sanctioned by the government, it's not up to snuff?" asked Blake, incredulous.

"No, not exactly. Some armies don't update their equipment regularly, because current equipment has worked 'fine' for a long time. It also depends on the budgets the council allocates to the military," growled Ironwood, "Unless it's the middle of a war, new innovations tend to be more heavily scrutinized until it's proved itself."

"That's so dumb," said Tai.

 **The panel budged a little, but their hands slipped, and it closed on Will's arm again.**

" **Ahh!" winced Will.**

 **Beep-beep… beep-beep… beep-beep… beep-beep… beep-beep… beep-beep… WHRRRREEEEENNN…**

 **Will and Jaune saw dust kick up, and the launcher began to float.**

" **We're lifting off," said Will, "You gotta go, now!"**

" **What?! Are you nuts? I'm not leaving you!" shouted Jaune who tried to pull again.**

" **Jaune! We're out of time! You've got to jump now!" shouted Will as he grabbed Jaune by the collar, "It's okay. I'll see you on the other side."**

 **Jaune was yanked from the panel, on the world slowed for a moment.**

"NO!" shouted Ironwood instinctively.

" **Will… NO!" shouted Jaune as he landed.**

 **BOOM**

 **Jaune was pushed down by the force of the explosion, and the Havoc wobbled in the air. As Jaune pushed off the ground, the mobile artillery exploded in earnest. Once again, the shock wave of the explosion forced Jaune to the ground, and debris flew toward him.**

 **SSSHHHKKK…**

" **Ahh…." Jaune gasped before his vision blurred.**

The room was silent, and Ironwood's fists clenched. It may not have been _his_ son, but it was hard for him to watch what he saw.

 **The world went black for a moment… Jaune opened his eyes and saw debris on him with orange, black, red, and a man in a marine uniform approach in the background.**

" **Will…?" Jaune gasped with hope.**

Everyone gasped with baited breath.

 **The man got closer… and he saw lilac eyes instead of green.**

"Knew it," said Raven.

"Quiet, you," growled Ironwood.

Raven just rolled her eyes, and laid back on her cushion.

" **Arc? ARC!" shouted Tai Yang as he knelt to him, "Spaceman, Badger Two is down. I need immediate medivac. Hold on, kid."**

 **Tai, pulled the debris off of him, and stared at him briefly.**

" **Stay with me," said Tai, "You're going to be alright. We're going to get you home."**

 **Tai left his vision, but Jaune could tell he moved behind him based on the grip he felt in his shoulders. Jaune felt himself being dragged, and his head limply turned to the side. For a moment, his eyes widened.**

" **My arm…" he breathed out as he saw stub where his arm should be, and a red trail from it's wake.**

Jaune's teammates, along with all the other students gasped at what had happened to their friend.

" **My arm…"**

" **It's going to be okay, kid," said Tai, before Jaune's vision went dark once more.**

"He lost his arm…" said Ren in shock.

"No…" said Pyrrha.

"I can't imagine losing an arm…" said Yang, as she rubbed her right arm.

"Hey, the screen is turning back on," said Ruby.

 **Jaune stood in his dress uniform with an arm in a sling along his fellow marines in a cemetery. Sergeant Tai Yang, also in his dress uniform, stood before a closed casket on an elevator system over a neatly dug hole. Jaune looked at the small audience before the casket. Among them was a woman with blonde hair in a bun, and sea-green eyes that held a folded flag as she wept.**

"I'm in this one?" asked Glynda.

"Look who you're seated next to," said Ozpin.

 **Next to the woman, Jaune saw man with broad shoulders, clean cut black hair that greyed around his sideburns, in a simple black suit. He stared at Tai with a mix of frustration, and attentiveness with balled fists at his knees.**

"That appears to be your counterpart, sir," said Winter in a solemn voice.

"Yes…" said James, "Wait, why is Glynda next to me?"

"In this universe, she is your wife," said Archie.

The two tensed, and nervously looked to one another. In younger years, if things had turned out differently-

" **And so it is time to say farewell to Private William Roberts Ironwood," began Tai solemnly.**

Ironwood, and Glynda snapped back to the screen.

" **A man I had the privilege and honor to have under my command," continued Tai, "A life is only important in proportion to its impact on the lives of others. By this standard, Private Ironwood ranks among one of our very best. He leaves behind family, friends, fellow marines, and a grateful nation."**

 **Jaune saw the man's fists tighten, and a frown etch itself upon his face. It all vanished though when he got up, and approached the casket. His once stern face softened slightly as he ran a gentle hand across the casket. He sighed, and walked away. Tai then approached the casket, and laid a hand on it with a solemn expression on his face before he followed the man from before. Jaune was the last to lay a hand on it. As he looked down at the casket, he couldn't help but notice the wrapped up stub in the sling that had once been his arm.**

" **Goodbye Will…" said Jaune, who held in his tears.**

"They must have been good fiends…" said Ironwood.

"…I can see that," began Glynda, "For all his faults, Mr. Arc is a kind, and good man. I think… our counterparts' son saw that."

Ironwood noted Glynda's words: "counterparts' son." Objectively, she was right. Hard as it may have been to see, Will was not his. However, the way she said "our" made him glance over to Glynda. Only someone who knew Glynda well could tell that her face seemed tighter than usual.

Out of instinct, Ironwood placed a hand over Glynda's.

Glynda's hand curled into his, and Ironwood's heart felt a little less heavy.

 **Jaune followed Tai Yang out of the burial area in the graveyard, and near the curb of the road. The man was there with a car waiting, and Tai seemed to hover near the man. Tai noticed him, and approached.**

" **I'm sorry, Arc," said Tai, "Will was one of our best. Look, we take care of our own. If you ever need anything…"**

" **Excuse me, Private Arc?"**

 **Jaune saw the man who waited by the car had interrupted, but had a look of purpose on his face that kept Jaune and Tai from speaking.**

" **I'm James Ironwood. I'm Will's father," the man, James, introduced himself.**

" **It's an honor to meet you, sir," said Jaune as he extended his remaining hand. James took it, "I just wish it was under better circumstances. I'm sorry… for what happened to Will. He was a good friend; my best friend."**

 **James nodded kindly in agreement.**

" **Mr. Ironwood, I'm sorry for your loss as well," said Tai Yang.**

 **Any warmth in James' eyes vanished in an instant as he looked to Tai.**

" **I'm sure you are, Sergeant," said James, more as a matter of courtesy without any sincerity.**

"That's not good," said Ilia.

"He's in mourning," pointed out Ozpin, "His emotions are bound to be unsettled."

"Why isn't Miss Goodwitch with him?" asked Ruby, "I mean… They're together here. Shouldn't they be supporting one another now?

"Maybe the marriage is a little complicated," said Tai.

Tai and Raven exchanged momentary glances before looking away.

"Or," cut in Glynda, "Maybe my counterpart would want to spend more time with Will."

"There's that as well," said Ozpin.

 **Ironwood turned back to Jaune, "Private Arc, you were Will's best friend. You both paid too high a price for your country."**

" **It was an unfortunate tragedy, sir," cut in Tai.**

 **James whipped his face in Tai's direction.**

" **It was more than unfortunate, Sergeant, it was unnecessary," cut off James.**

"He died dong his duty… for protecting his friend…" growled James, infuriated at his counterpart's apparent lack of respect.

"He's upset," winced Tai, a little, "I can understand though."

"I would be too…" added Ghira.

"You think his comrades aren't grieving either?!" snapped Ironwood, "When a mission goes south, and lives are lost, the survivors suffer just as much as the family of the fallen. They insist to themselves 'If only I was faster,' 'If only I was stronger,' then my friend would be with us still."

The two other fathers were wide-eyed in response to Ironwood's outburst. Glynda tightened her grip on his hand, and the general calmed down.

"I… Sorry, that was out of bounds. You were both thinking as parents," said Ironwood.

"It's alright," said Tai solemnly, "I know the pain of losing a… a comrade, as well."

"Yeah…" agreed Qrow.

"Yes…" said Ghira, as he remembered some of his older comrades from his youth.

 **Jaune blinked in surprise.**

" **Son," began James, "I want to offer you a second chance."**

" **Mr. Ironwood," began Tai, diplomatically, "Jaune Arc's been discharged. With his injuries—"**

" **I'm aware of his injuries, Sergeant" growled James before he put a hand on a stunned Jaune's shoulder "At Atlas, we have prosthetics that are twenty years beyond anything the military could offer you. Will told me what kind of soldier you were. You deserve to fight for a military that's as effective as you are."**

Ironwood frowned at that last sentence.

"He makes it sound as if we in the nation don't care," grumbled Ironwood.

" _You_ do, James," reassured Glynda, "Remember, that's not really you."

"I know… It's hard, sometimes," sighed Ironwood.

 **James took out a card from his lapel pocket, and Jaune took it and gave it a look. It was a high-end hologram card that displayed a dynamic logo of the Atlas PMC.**

" **Think about it," said James, "Don't let Will's death be in vain."**

 **James turned to Tai, and the two exchanged cold looks.**

" **Sergeant," said James before he got into his car.**

" **That went as well as I thought it would," sighed Tai.**

" **He's upset, any father would be, given the circumstances," said Jaune, "Just give him time, sir."**

"… **I suppose you're right," said Tai, who then turned to Jaune, "So… are you going to take him up on his offer?"**

" **I…" Jaune hesitated, but Tai put a hand on Jaune's shoulder.**

" **He's not wrong," began Tai reluctantly, "Atlas has the best gear in the world. You could get a state of the art prosthetic without waiting in line, especially since Ironwood himself offered. I wouldn't blame you if you took him up; it's a good offer."**

 **Jaune looked at the card again.**

" _ **Ready…!"**_ **Jaune heard in the distance, and turned to see seven marines in the funeral prepare the 21 gun salute.**

"Do it!" said Ruby, "It's free."

"It's not free, per se," said Weiss, "It is a good opportunity though."

"Agreed," said Pyrrha and Winter.

 **Jaune looked at his stub in the sling…**

" _ **Aim….!"**_

 **Jaune closed his eyes and took a breath.**

" _ **Fire!"**_

 **Jaune's eyes opened, and looked at his new prosthetic arm, and the Atlas issue rifle in both of his hands.**

"Time skip! Ooh… look at that," said Nora.

"It appears to have synthetic skin," noted Penny, "Could it also have an artificial nervous system as well?"

"This corporation must be something if they could manufacture a prosthetic like that with little issue," said Velvet.

"I don't think making a prosthetic like that would be easy," said Coco.

"It could be an experimental design," said Ironwood.

" **Ready, kid?" asked one of the soldiers in an Atlas uniform next to him.**

" **Yeah," said Jaune with a confident smile.**

…

The lights went up.

"That was a pretty cool one, but watching Jaune's friend die…? That sucked," said Sun.

"Are you okay, General Ironwood?" asked Winter.

"I am. It's just a little overwhelming knowing I had a son in another universe," said Ironwood.

"Sorry, sir," said Winter.

"It's fine, Specialist," reassured Ironwood, "At ease."

"Well, at least you have friend to make you feel better," said Ruby.

Ironwood blinked… and ffelt something warm in his good hand. He turned, and saw that Glynda still held his hand.

Glynda appeared to realize this, and the two immediately let go. As Ironwood rubbed his neck, and Glynda cleared her throat to return to her old composure, Ozpin couldn't help but smile a little.

 **A/N: I think of all the modern Call of Duty games I played, Advanced Warfare is the one I love the most, and the Zombies mode was so much fun. This was a joy to write. I might have overdone Ironwood's reaction in the funeral scene, but there was a lot to react to. Furthermore, me being the jerk that I am apparently, he just saw the son he could have had get blown up. I thought his words were appropriate. Let me know if you think if the reactions were correct in the reviews, please.**

 **Anyway this is the last Call of Duty chapter I'll be writing for the rest of the year. I may revisit them next year, but as for when, I don't know. It's the Christmas season now, so expect delays.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The beauty of this chapter was I didn't have to change much with some of the references. Atlas was easy, and all I had to do was alter Irons to Ironwood.**

 **The video games mentioned: "Star Horde," and "Oversight," are based off of** _ **Space Invaders**_ **and** _ **Overwatch**_ **.**

…

 **Thank you for reading, and please review.**

 **Preview: God of War Pt.3**


	23. God of War: First Time for Everything

**So… After Volume 6 Episode 3, it turns out that the story Qrow told wasn't some legend that explained the coming of Grimm, and humans.**

 **Damnit…**

 **I could have made the Stranger a god! However, because I didn't do that and killed him off too quickly, I can't go all out with the "canonical" Jaune and Juniper. Oh well, stuff happens, and besides, I have the non-canonical vignette segments where I can throw in Mimir, and others. Besides, since this is a "potential future," and after watching MurderofBirds' theory about the Arc family on YouTube, it's probably best not to make Jaune a god either. I don't normally listen to fan theories, but given Tyrian's interest in Jaune, it got me thinking.**

 **Anyway, people asked for another God of War chapter, especially now that I stuck in Tai and Raven in the mix. I finally found a segment for them to react to, and possibly talk about in the intermission next chapter.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **God of War**_ **is the work of Santa Monica Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment.**

 **Chapter 23 – First Time for Everything**

In the empty dorm of Team RWBY, Emerald stood alone with Cinder on the other end of her scroll.

"They aren't here, ma'am," said Emerald to her scroll.

" _What do you mean, Emerald?"_ asked Cinder.

Emerald gulped. Even though Cinder sounded more surprised than actually upset, she didn't want to give Cinder the impression that she wasn't taking her job seriously.

"I have Mercury looking at some of the other areas we've seen them at, but the Ruby twerp and her team aren't in their room," said Emerald.

"Hmm… Perhaps they went out to celebrate their 'triumph' at the battle earlier," mused Cinder, unconcerned.

"I'm about to check out the room of that team Nikos is part of. Apparently, the two teams are close," said Emerald.

"Wonderful initiative, Emerald," said Cinder. Emerald tried hard not to beam, "How did you learn that information?"

Emerald cringed.

"Some tool was talking about the two teams. I asked, and he talked…" said Emerald, "Then he tried to hit on me," she grumbled quietly to herself.

Cardin Winchester… She'd find some way to punish him for making a pass at her. It wasn't anything too terrible, but it got Mercury to tease her, which was unforgivable.

"Forget about it then, there's always tomorrow," said Cinder, "I'm about to leave the White Fang safe house. Have Mercury return to the dorm, where we can plan our next actions for the festival."

"Of course," nodded Emerald.

Cinder hung up.

"So, can we turn in for the night?"

"Ahh!" squawked Emerald, "Mercury, what the hell?!"

Mercury simply stood at the doorway that led back into the hall.

"So, we aren't going to hang out with your new 'friends?" said Mercury with a smirk.

"Ugh… Don't remind me," groaned Emerald.

"Orders are orders," shrugged Mercury.

Emerald sighed, and let her shoulders sag. Cinder had told her she had to befriend them…

"This is going to suck," said Emerald, "Come on, Cinder already dropped off Roman's little pet at Taurus' place. We don't want to be late."

"It's a ten minute walk to our wing, and floor. We'll get there before Cinder even arrives at Beacon," pointed out Mercury.

"Orders are orders," chimed Emerald in a sing-song fashion.

"Can't we at least get a burger?" asked Mercury.

"You can," said Emerald, "And if you arrive after Cinder, you get to tell her why you were late."

"Ugh… Slave driver," muttered Mercury.

Emerald smirked triumphantly, and reached for the door knob…

'When did the door close?' she thought before she turned the handle.

xXxXx

Archie put away the last military volume, before he summoned more volumes from the Archive.

Clack… One

…

"Huh…" muttered Archie, "What's taking the rest so long – AH!"

CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK!

Three massive volumes fell into the bin after the first.

"Whoa! Those are some big one!" said Sun.

"Are they epic? Epic size means epic, right?" asked Nora, as she peered into the bin.

"The three are sizeable…" chuckled Archie, but the first one was what held his attention, "Well, now what do we have here?"

"What is it?" asked Ruby.

"It's the potential future from before," said Archie.

Yang's heart leapt in her chest.

"Juniper?" Yang said instinctively.

"Juniper?" asked Tai, confused.

"You know how Yang mentioned there was a potential future with her and Jaune?" asked Ruby, which got both Raven and Tai to frown, "Well, they had a daughter: Juniper. I'm an aunt!"

"So… I'm a grandpa?" asked Tai, a tone of curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah…" said Yang, "Can we… Can we see that first?"

"Certainly," said Archie, "The other three are interconnected anyway. Best to deal with this one first."

Raven sat upright, curious to see who this 'Juniper' was.

Archie slipped in the volume, and the light's dimmed.

…

 **RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!**

 **Jaune, sword drawn, stood his ground before the Alpha Beowolf. The beast lunged, and Jaune's shield punched out and slammed hard against the beast's chest. Jaune angled the shield so that he could avoid the snapping jaws, and swinging claws.**

"So, we're starting at a ten with the action," said Nora.

"That was fast," said Yang.

"Well, there's no better way to start than to hit the ground running," said Sun.

" **Girl!"**

" **Yes, sir!" shouted Juniper, who appeared off to the side.**

"Is that her?" asked Tai.

"Yep, that's her," said Yang.

Raven stared, it was like a carbon copy of her from when she was younger, save for the eyes, which were an azure color.

 **Juniper shot two arrows at the beowolf with her bow. The first arrow missed, but the second one landed into the side of beowolf between its ribcage and hip. The beast recoiled, and Jaune thrusted his blade into the gut. Instead of a straight thrust, Jaune tilted the blade up and the blade pierced the back along its upper spine.**

"Archery, eh?" remarked Tai, "She's pretty good."

"She should have taken the time to aim," said Raven, who smiled wickedly, "Two arrows to the kidney would have made that dog squeal."

"And twisting the blade to mess with that grimm's guts wouldn't make it squeal?" asked Yang.

"There's no such thing as too much pain for a grimm," shrugged Raven.

"That's… true?" said Pyrrha.

Yang, and the others shuddered at Raven's sadistic logic.

 **Jaune pulled the blade out, and hunkered down with his shield as another beowolf, a lesser one, swiped his claws. The claws bounced off the shield, and Jaune was about to move to swing when something unexpected happened. Juniper leapt at the beowolf's back, and before the creature could react, she used her bow's string to wrap along the beowolf's neck and pulled. The beowolf instinctively pulled back from Jaune, and exposed its neck to him as the monster recoiled to the unexpected maneuver.**

"Whoa! What's she doing?!" yelped Yang.

"Aww… Look at her! She's exposing the beowolf's neck," cooed Nora.

"That's nuts! What's she thinking!" shuddered Yang.

"Oh, please, you charged a giant robot powered by a notorious criminal," scoffed Weiss.

"If I was there, she would be so grounded," grumbled Yang.

"Ha!" laughed Tai Yang.

"What?" asked Yang.

"Nothing, sweetie," chuckled Tai Yang, "Just enjoying the irony."

 **The veteran huntsman took advantage of the opening that his daughter gave, and he readied his blade.**

" **Girl, whatever you do, do** _ **not**_ **move!" ordered Jaune.**

" **Yes, sir," said Juniper, before she adjusted her feet, and pulled harder.**

 **When he saw that Juniper had firm footing, Jaune lunged forward, and slashed with his blade. The blade sliced clean through the neck, with only half an inch exposed beyond the pillar of flesh. Juniper had a look of amazement before she blinked and leapt off the beowolf's back. As she landed, the creature dissolved, and she looked up to see her father approach.**

"Hah! Would you look at that," chuckled Tai, "She's pretty athletic."

"Well, the wilds of Solitas aren't exactly friendly," said Qrow.

"The Solitas wilds?" asked Tai.

As Tai started to freak out at the prospect, Raven was suddenly intrigued.

'Hmm… Maybe the boy wasn't such a bad pick after all,' she mused to herself.

When Raven first learned there was a possible future where her daughter wound up with the Arc boy, she had been aghast. However, in this situation, she had been impressed. If he was able to raise a daughter in Solitas, the harshest of continents, perhaps he was worthy of Yang. The rugged, muscular appearance also helped in changing her mind.

" **Boy, they were tough," said Juniper**

" **There will be more," said Jaune, before he looked at her, "That maneuver you just did, what made you decide to do it?"**

" **I was out of arrows, and I still wanted to help… Was it bad?" asked Juniper, a little fearful.**

"Aww… someone's a daddy's girl," said Nora.

"It was a bit careless though," said Blake.

"You don't think he'll be mad, do you?" asked Ruby.

"Why would he be mad?" asked Tai.

"Well…" began Yang.

 **Jaune stared at her before he shook his head.**

" **You helped greatly," said Jaune, which got a sigh of relief from Juniper, "Your maneuver gave me an opportunity to kill the beowolf faster."**

" **Well that's good to hear," sighed Juniper in relief.**

"Alright, looks like he lightened up a bit from the last time we saw him," said Coco.

"His earlier criticisms of her were not unfounded," reminded Glynda.

"What are you all talking about?" asked Raven, clearly not having seen what everyone went on about.

" **However, I would add that what you did was reckless for one with your level of training. While I do expect you to help me fight as a part of your training, I do not want to you to throw yourself in dangerous positions," said Jaune.**

" **S-Sorry… I mean, yes sir," said Juniper, who looked down.**

"…" **Jaune sighed at the sight, and took a breath.**

" **It's getting late, and we'll need shelter for the night," began Jaune who looked to a hill and pointed at a ruined building, "There's an old Mantle fort over there… We'll discuss how to use your maneuver in our future battles there."**

 **Juniper's face lit up.**

" **R-Really?" she asked.**

 **Jaune nodded.**

" **As long as we communicate it clearly to one another, I see no reason not to use it," said Jaune, "Now come. Collect your arrows, and let's be on our way. The fort is not far."**

" **Yes, sir!" chirped Juniper happily.**

"Well, at least it's not as awkward as before," stated Blake.

"An explanation to what you all are talking about would be appreciated. Please?" asked Tai.

"Sorry, dad. Well… In this future we, Team RWBY, Jaune, Nora, and Ren, all fought some crazy war, and Jaune did… some stuff," said Yang.

"He killed people, you mean?" snorted Raven, "That kind of comes with the territory of war."

"I know," growled Yang, "But he didn't kill just for a mission's sake. Sometimes… It was for payback. See, Pyrrha was killed in this war, and Jaune took it hard and never let it go."

"…I see," said Tai Yang neutrally.

"I don't know how we wound up together, but I do know that when Juniper showed up, he was scared," said Yang, "He didn't think he deserved her; didn't deserve to hold her because of the things he did. I did most of the raising as a result. At the end of the last viewing we saw this though, he was taking the first steps to looking after her. Seeing this now, them working together after my, well, death, it's a comfort."

"Your death…?" gasped Tai, "Oh, so he's a single dad now."

Raven glanced at Tai, and saw the understanding look on his face…

'Like mother, like daughter…' she thought to herself, with her own complicated expression.

 **As they approached the outpost, Jaune and Juniper saw bones littered about the old building.**

" **Are you sure it's safe in there?" asked Juniper nervously.**

" **It will be safer than sleeping out here when the temperature drops," said Jaune, "This is a fort. There must have been a battle here long ago, and the cold preserved the bones."**

" **Okay… If you say so," nodded Juniper.**

 **Jaune's hands went to a pouch on his belt, and patted it.**

"Those are my ashes," said Yang.

"You two must have been close," said Tai.

"Yeah. We were…" said Yang.

"You're… Well, the version of you here, was lucky to have such a devoted partner," said Tai.

Raven's finger twitched at Tai subtle dig at her.

'I had my reasons,' she wanted to say.

She had her reasons to leave, one of which, was not too far from her. Ozpin may be watching this viewing, but she knew he had an eye on her.

 **Jaune lifted the iron grate to the old Mantle outpost, and Juniper ran in.**

" **Ugh, what's that smell?" gagged Juniper.**

 **Jaune got hit with the smell too, but did not recoil. On alert, he looked around and saw more bodies. Fresh bodies, all with their flesh stripped…**

"That's… urk," gagged Sun, "That doesn't look too good."

"Way to point the obvious," said Coco, with an equally ill expression.

" **NOW!"**

 **Jaune turned when he saw a counterweight rise, and a wooden gate drop in front iron grate they came from, and he realized that it was a trap. Men came out of the shadows, with swords, and clubs.**

"More bandits?" asked Ilia.

"Jaune will best them quite handily then," said Pyrrha, "Look at how they're walking. No form, or purpose."

"Maybe," began Winter, "Still… There's something about them that I would still recommend he be cautious."

" **Are they grimm? Poltergeists?" asked one of them.**

" **No… They're untouched. Look!" shuddered another, relieved.**

"Poltergeists?" gasped Ozpin.

"What's a poltergeist?" asked Ruby, suddenly worried by Ozpin's tone.

"Are you familiar with the geist?" asked Ozpin.

"I am," said Weiss, who touched her scar, "I had to fight an armas-gigas form geist to prove to my father I was serious in becoming a huntress."

Winter growled loudly at the memory.

"Indeed, a geist is too weak to fight on its own, and requires objects to arm itself, so to speak," began Ozpin, "However, if a geist gains enough power and becomes an alpha, it can gain the ability to possess flesh, living or dead. They are known as the soma-gigas, or poltergeists to ordinary people."

" **Someone, start the fires!" yelled another one with a greedy look in his eyes.**

" **Siegmund, your knives," ordered another.**

" **So many days… without meat…" said the last man, as he licked his lips.**

"Hang on, are they…?" gasped Ilia.

" **Meat?" asked Juniper nervously, as Jaune ushered her to his back, "Wait – us?"**

" **Cannibals…" spat Jaune.**

"Cannibals?!" Ruby and Yang yelped as they paled.

"Solitas is harsh, and meat can give you the protein, fat, and calories to help survive it," said Raven, who then snarled in disgust, "I guess if you're desperate enough, you can't get too picky."

" **Juniper, remember what I said?" asked Jaune.**

" **Stay out of fights with people…?" gulped Juniper.**

" **Good girl," said Jaune, "Stay behind me, or out of sight."**

"Why would he tell her not to help him?" asked Ilia, "I mean, he looks tough and all, but he's still outnumbered."

"She's young, and soft from the look of it. Arc seems ready to kill at any moment. Would you allow a _child_ to help you with an act as serious as that without them being ready for it?" said Raven.

Qrow, Yang, and Tai all stared at Raven as though she grew another head. The words were certainly harsh, but the tone… was softer than they expected from the typically blunt woman.

'Did she just…' a thought formed in Yang's head.

'That doesn't sound like Raven… For a moment, she sounded like she was considerate of how Juniper would feel about killing,' thought Tai.

Qrow had similar thoughts, but he chalked it up to his sister's sense of pragmatism in a fight to be safe. Unless it was someone like Summer or Tai, who had earned her respect, or a member of the tribe, as he once was to her, Raven was a heartless bitch.

'Juniper is part of the tribe in his universe though…' a stray thought in Qrow's mind told him.

Qrow quashed the thought; best not to get his hopes up.

" **What if they change like the others?" asked one of the men.**

" **We'll have to keep them alive," answered on of them, impatiently, "Strip off their meat… a little at a time."**

"They must have flayed, and eaten them alive to keep them from turning. Which means there are grimm in the area," said Ozpin.

"That's…" gagged Velvet.

"Gross…? Sick…? Disgusting…?" supplied Coco.

"Would Mr. Arc know of the geists these cannibals mentioned?" asked Glynda.

"I'm not certain…" said Ozpin.

" **This fight is mine alone," said Jaune.**

 **Jaune spared his daughter a glance, and Juniper nodded and ducked out. With her out of the way, Jaune drew his blade only. There would be no need for a shield.**

 **One man charged, and Jaune simply sidestepped, and slashed his blade.**

" **Urk…!" gargled the man, as blood spilled from his mouth and gut.**

 **Jaune didn't spare the man a glance, and he shot the others a look. Several took a step back and gulped, but another with a sword did get Jaune's attention. He was licking his lips at the now deceased comrade.**

"Ugh… Looks like the menu got bigger," said Nora.

"Please, Nora," gagged Ren, "Lunch is coming up, and I don't want my appetite to be spoiled."

"Same here," said Pyrrha.

 **The man roared, out of either hunger or vengeance and raised his blade. Jaune was about to move when a flash of heat and light appeared in the periphery of his vision. He back stepped, and avoided a fireball. His eyes flicked upward, and he saw two more men with red bandages around their arms.**

"Dust woven clothes," said Glynda.

"There are more of them, and they have the high ground," said Blake.

"Doesn't Jaune have a ranged option? He could toss his sword like his axe in the last one," asked Sun.

"It's possible, but a sword does not have the same throwing properties as a axe or throwing knife. It would be tricky at best, and lethal at worst," said Ren.

"How would throwing a sword help him? He'd be unarmed," said Tai.

"Well, it's his semblance," said Pyrrha.

"Huh?" asked Tai.

 **Jaune stared at the man momentarily…**

 _ **A woman in a red dress with dark hair, a face covered in shadow save for her malicious golden eyes raised her open hand wreathed in fire…**_

"That same woman from before…" said Pyrrha to herself.

" **Arg!"**

 **Jaune returned his attention to the other man, and parried the man's sword with his own. Before he could break the man's guard, two others charged his flanks, one with an axe, the other with a club. Jaune pushed the initial attacker with his blade, and back stepped. As fire approached from above, Jaune drew out Crorcea Mors' shield, and expanded it. The shield flashed white with his aura, and he bashed the fireball and sent it in the direction of the man with an axe.**

" **AGGGH!" screaned the man as he was engulfed in the flames.**

"Whoa! Was that aura? Can aura repel a dust attack like that?" asked Ilia.

"Apparently," said Kali.

"It's possible," confirmed Glynda, "It just requires good timing."

 **The other attackers were thrown off their game by the shrieks, and Jaune saw an opportunity. His sword flashed white, and he threw it at the man with a club. The sword hurtled like a javelin, and with the man with a club noticed-**

 **SPPPLLLKKK!**

 **Crocea Mors went in on one side of the man's chest, and tore through the spine as it exited and impaled itself onto the wall.**

"He threw his weapon?" gasped Tai.

"So, how would his semblance help him? I thought it just made his attacks stronger, or allowed him to project his aura offensively," added Raven, who remembered the Comet Strike in one of the previous universes.

"Just watch," said Yang with a smile.

" **You're dead!" shouted the man with the sword.**

 **He charged at him, but Jaune raised his hand.**

 **The man smiled at Jaune's seemingly foolish action, and raised his hand to slice through the blonde's arm – Jaune's arm glowed.**

 **SPPPLLLKKK!**

 **The man stood still as his breath caught in his throat, and noticed that Jaune held his sword again with a glowing white arm as he tilted to the side…**

"Wait… The sword came back?" asked Tai, in surprise.

"So he can do that with a sword, too" said Velvet.

"That's a relief…" sighed Pyrrha.

"See, Jaune's semblance is called Aura Amplification," began Yang, "Like I said before, he can imbue his aura to make others stronger, or weaken enemy aura to make them easier to take out."

"What does that have to do with his weapon?" asked Raven.

"If he puts his aura into a weapon, he can increase the power of the attacks, or tie the weapon to him," explained Yang, "Meaning, even if he throws it, it will come back to him."

"Interesting…" Tai said, impressed.

 **Jaune saw the man's upper body fall to the ground after being cleanly sliced through by the return arc of the sword. He normally didn't throw his sword, since it was mostly a blade with a small handle. After enough practice, and nearly losing an arm the first time he did it, he figured out a trick, though it took a lot more aura to do it safely.**

 **With the three out of the way, he could now deal with the ones raining fire on the upper levels.**

 **One of the fire users gathered a lot of power, as the other fired a barrage of fireballs.**

" **Not a bad plan. However…" Jaune muttered to himself, before he dodged the flurry, and tossed his sword with more force than before.**

 **The man was impaled before he could blink, and it took his body a second to catch up. The newly formed fireball died in the man's hands a second after the blade stuck into the ceiling. The other fire user finished his charge, and blasted a wave of heat toward Jaune. Jaune dodged though, and extended his hand as he rolled off to the side.**

 **Before the man could realize what happened, Crocea Mors flung from the ceiling and decapitated him. Jaune lowered his hand, and his sword's approach speed dropped and fell to his feet in a relatively harmless manner.**

" **However," continued Jaune as he picked up Crocea Mors off the floor, "You just had bad luck, using** _ **her**_ **attack on me."**

"He must really hate that woman," said Ilia.

"She killed me in this future," said Pyrrha flatly.

"I know. Yang mentioned, but how long ago was that in this universe," said Ilia.

"Not long enough, it appears," said Blake.

 **Jaune picked up his sword, and took a breath.**

" **Come out, girl," said Jaune, and he got a wiping rag for his sword.**

 **Juniper emerged from her hiding spot, and stared at her father in amazement.**

" **Whoa… That was fast," gulped Juniper.**

" **Yes… They didn't have aura, so it was easy," said Jaune casually.**

" **They weren't so tough," joked Juniper.**

" **Do not laugh," scolded Jaune, "This was not done for enjoyment. Remember that."**

"… **Okay, sir," said Juniper glumly.**

"Before I would have called him a jerk for snapping, but he's right on the money there," said Yang.

"Well, if he did things that he later regretted in this war, it makes sense for him to scold her," agreed Tai, "Dealing death is not something that someone could treat casually."

Raven hummed in agreement.

Oh, she was not above killing her targets, but it was so much easier and more profitable to intimidate others into giving up their goods to the tribe. After all, dead villagers just mean one less place to get stuff from.

 **Jaune grunted, and kept the cloth he used to wipe his sword in his pocket to wash later. Right now, he needed to find a way out of the – Jaune felt something hit him hard, and the world spun for a moment.**

" **Father!"**

 **Jaune's head whipped to the weight above, and he saw it was the first man he cut down. His chest was bleeding, but there was a manic, desperate, and furious look in his eyes.**

"Whoa, that guy isn't dead?" asked Kali.

"He will be soon, given Arc's handiwork in this universe," said Raven.

" **Get back!" Jaune heard as the desperate cannibal tried to snake his hands around Jaune's neck.**

"Juniper!" gasped Yang as she heard the voice.

 **Jaune pushed the man briefly, and looked in the direction of the scream. In that moment, he saw Juniper swinging her bow at a new cannibal that had appeared.**

"Don't swing it! Aim and fire!" shouted Raven, a mild warble in her voice.

"She's panicking," said Tai.

" **Juniper…" Jaune gasped.**

 **Jaune felt a hand around his neck, and he remembered his situation. He felt a surge of energy, and he punched the man atop him back. Before he could get to his feet, the cannibal tackled Jaune's legs, and bit down on his ankle.**

" **Ragh! Fucking…" Jaune wiggled a leg loose kicked the man in the face, "Bastard!"**

 **As the man scrambled to his feet, Jaune understood that the man would not back off. The deranged cannibal leapt at him before he could draw his sword, and as Jaune held back the man by the neck, he quickly grabbed a large rock and swung.**

"Forget him!" shouted Yang.

"Use your sword!" added Ruby.

"Easier said than done," said Ironwood, "That man is too aggressive for Jaune to do either."

 **Meanwhile, Juniper's bow was caught by her pursuer, and wrenched from her hands. Juniper tried to run, but a strong arm wrapped around her torso, and pulled her in. She kicked and struggled, but was further restrained by another arm around her neck.**

" **Let… go…!" she gasped.**

" **So soft, and warm…" said the man as he sniffed her.**

"Fuck off, creep!" shouted Yang.

"Wait, doesn't she have those Maiden powers she got from Yang. She should use that to zap him," said Ruby.

Raven blanched when she heard that.

'She's a maiden?' she thought to herself.

Neither Ozpin, nor those suckered in by him, noticed her expression, which was fortunate. Raven knew how the powers of Maiden worked. Ozpin revealed much to Qrow and herself, not to mention the fact that she 'inherited' the previous Spring Maiden's powers.

'Did Yang and I…' a thought formed in her head.

There were only two immediate possibilities for Yang to get maiden powers that could have been given to Juniper. Yang and Raven reconciled; unlikely. Yang killed Raven; also unlikely, but more believable given Yang's opinion of her. Either way, Yang inheriting the power, followed by Juniper, got her head swimming.

 **Juniper felt a chill up her spine, and she pulled the arm around her neck in a panic.**

" **Maybe I'll have some fun with you first – AAGGGH!"**

 **Juniper had pulled the arm enough for her to bite it. The man's arm released her just enough for her to reach-**

"Good girl. Armed to the teeth," Raven praised her possible granddaughter's resourcefulness.

" **You little bit-"**

 **SHHLLLLCHHH**

 **The man couldn't say anything more with Yang's knife in his eye.**

"My knife from this universe," said Yang, "Good job, girl."

Raven and Tai though were silent. Both of them knew the gravity of what Juniper just did, and soon their possible granddaughter would know as well.

 **The man's arms slacked, and Juniper fell. Before she could get on her feet, her attacker's corpse fell on top of her, and she froze as she wound up staring at a lifeless, unblinking eye.**

"Oh, shit…" said Yang.

Yang it seemed, to Tai and Raven, had joined her parents in their realization.

 **Jaune panted, as he briefly saw his handiwork: a man with a rock for a new face. Once he confirmed the man would not get back up, he then turned and saw a prone man, and a discarded bow.**

" **Juniper!" he shouted.**

 **Jaune rivaled the wind with his speed, and he saw a small arm underneath the man. He grabbed the bastard's corpse, and flung it off. For a moment, relief was on Jaune's face, as he saw his daughter was alive. However, relief gave way to fear when he saw the petrified expression on her face.**

" **Juniper," he said, as he reached for her shoulders.**

" **Huh… Huh… Huh…" Juniper panted as she was sat up.**

"She's in shock," said Winter.

"Her first kill at a young age. I'd be afraid for her if she wasn't," said Ironwood.

 **Juniper stared off into the distance as her legs instinctively moved her body upright. Jaune moved to wipe some blood from Juniper's face, when his daughter's body suddenly tensed and shifted to face him.**

 **Jaune saw her haunted eyes, and his gaze softened slightly.**

" **Mm… hnn… hinnn…" Juniper started to sniffle, and her eyes began to water.**

 **Jaune's hand went from approaching her face to her shoulder. Juniper recoiled, and looked away. He could tell she was trying not to cry in front of him, but the pulled frown and shut eyes told him exactly how she felt. Jaune now put both hands on her shoulders, and rubbed them gently. Juniper relaxed, and the dam broke.**

Yang, Ruby, and the other students began to feel tears well up in their eyes. The adults all had a sad expression, and Tai clenched his teeth as well.

"She had to do it," said Raven, who noticed Tai's expression.

"She's just a kid," began Qrow.

"You would prefer she be at that bastard's mercy?" snapped Raven, "Maybe Arc could have killed his attacker faster, and she would have been spared having to kill. However, their enemies were desperate and hungry, or have you forgotten how dangerous such foes are, Qrow of the Branwen Tribe."

Qrow had nothing to say to that. He was once a bandit, and knew how desperate some of their targets had been in the past. Those fights were always the ugliest.

 **Jaune let her cry. He gently gripped her shoulders, and after a minute, her shaking began to subside. Juniper was still upset, he noted, but she had settled somewhat. His hands moved from her shoulders to her face, and Jaune made her face him. His face, while not as stony as it usually was, held a stern expression.**

" **Close your heart to it," he said.**

" **Father…?" she sniffed.**

" **You are alive… That is all that matters," said Jaune softly as he brushed his thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek, "Close your heart to it."**

 **Juniper sniffed, but nodded as a few more tears fell.**

"That is sound advice," agreed Raven.

Tai, Yang, and Qrow reluctantly grumbled in agreement. Better it was Juniper who came out alive than the other guy.

" **Come then," said Jaune, "We have a long journey ahead-"**

" **YAAAHH!"**

 **Jaune turned immediately and caught a black hand that made for Juniper. His eyes saw the man Juniper killed. His body had turned grimm-black with Yang's knife in one eye, and the other glowed an angry red.**

" **YAAARRRRGGGHHHH!" the corpse screamed, and Jaune saw the face plate of a geist within its shrieking maw.**

"Oh, crap!" yelped Coco.

"Is that the poltergeist they were talking about earlier?" gasped Weiss.

"Yes," said Ozpin, "Their form is as frightening and intimidating as their ability to kill.

 **Jaune's hand glowed white, and he ripped the corpse's jaw from the face, and grabbed the geist's faceplate. With a hard pull, he ripped the grimm out of the body, and he crushed the only corporeal component of the otherwise gaseous creature. As the geist dissolved, Jaune saw more geists flood into the building, no doubt drawn to the fear and anger the fight had caused. The geists made their way to the corpses, and the corpses rose again.**

 **Jaune yanked Yang's knife from the corpse, and handed it to his daughter.**

" **Wait here," said Jaune.**

 **After some hesitation, Juniper got the dagger. Jaune then unlatched Crocea Mors from his belt.**

" **I will handle this," said Jaune.**

"Take them out, Jaune!" said Nora.

"Are poltergeists difficult to take out?" asked Blake.

"No more difficult than an armas-gigas. However, the sight of former colleagues twisted and deformed in such a manner adds an unsettling challenge," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune pushed a button, and when he heard a click. The golden trim on the sheath extended to form blades along the sides to turn his weapon into a claymore.**

"Sweet! Looks like Jaune got an upgrade to his weapon," said Ruby.

"It's a cool one too," said Nora, "Two-handed weapons forever!"

 **Jaune charged at the enemies, and the geists responded in kind.**

 **Jaune's weapon smashed a first one's legs before he sliced the head in two to destroy the geist mask in the body. He took a back step when one geist took a swing at him with the corpse's arm, which the grimm converted into a claw. The geist's mask in this second grimm was in a hole made from Jaune's previous attack while the man was alive. Jaune aimed, and thrusted the blade into the hole again, before he turned his body right. The maneuver sliced through the grimm mask, and cut into the possessed body of another enemy. The new, third, enemy was not destroyed, but it was knocked back to give Jaune some breathing room.**

" **Three down," Jaune muttered, counting the reanimated corpse of the man Juniper killed earlier.**

 **The one he knocked back got back up onto it's feet, and Jaune saw two more ready to lunge at him. Jaune tapped into his aura, and true to his suspicions, all three off them lunged. Jaune swung his blade mightily, and a white arc of light shot from the blade.**

"Slicing arcs of aura!" cheered Nora.

"I guess Jaune has an additional ranged option," said Pyrrha, "Maybe I can see if I can train him in that area."

"He'd need to unlock his semblance first," said Yang.

"Yes, but I can train up his strength to able to push the air with his sword like that," said Pyrrha.

 **The arc sliced two of the geist's into nothing but dust, but the third one avoided the attack. It made to attack Jaune's flank, but the momentum of Jaune's attack made him spin a full 360 degrees. Jaune's momentum allowed is blade to slice through the final attacker's body in two. The last geist leapt out of the sliced corpse and tried to get away, but Jaune gripped the handle of crocea mors, disengaged the blade's lock and drew the blade out samurai-style. An arc of aura sailed across the room, and killed the final enemy as it struck the geist's one physical part.**

"That should do it," said Ironwood.

"I could have sworn there were more of them," said Glynda.

"Geists can be picky over what kind of 'material' they use to suit themselves," said Ozpin.

 **As Jaune put his sword back in the sheathe, he looked to see the bodies in the upper levels, to make sure they were dead. Fortunately, Jaune's attacks had messed them up too badly for the geists to want to use. He turned around, and saw Juniper look at one of the bodies.**

" **They came back," she said, "T-They came back…"**

" **It is finished," said Jaune.**

" **I want to leave here," said Juniper.**

 **Jaune nodded. Nightfall approaching or not, staying here was a bad idea. The grimm alone would be a problem, but his main concern was Juniper, who had her first kill in this wretched place.**

" **Then collect yourself," said Jaune, "We must find a way out."**

 **Jaune looked around, and saw a coiled chain that led to the upper level of the fort. The chain was also near an opening that led outside.**

" **There," said Jaune, "That chain."**

 **Jaune saw a place where Juniper could climb on with a boost from him, and approached it.**

" **Go drop the chain," said Jaune, who crouched and hung clasped hands to form a stirrup.**

"… **Okay," muttered Juniper.**

"She's still shaken," said Blake.

"Understandable," said Ghira, "She was much too young to do what she did."

 **Jaune waited for a couple seconds before Juniper willed herself to step onto Jaune's makeshift stirrup Jaune launched her into the air, and saw Juniper grab onto the upper level and pull herself up. Juniper trudged slowly, her eyes still on the ground.**

" **Juniper… the chain," urged Jaune gently.**

" **The chain… right," said Juniper and she took a couple of steps.**

 **Jaune saw her stop, and look at her hand. The same hand that bore the man's blood from before.**

" **You are in your head, girl," said Jaune, "Let it go. He would have killed you."**

"Sound like something mo – Raven would say," grumbled Yang.

"…Hate to say it, but your mother had a point there," said Tai.

"…I know. It's just – Ugh, it's just frustrating that I can't disagree with her," said Yang.

Raven rolled her eyes. Did they really think they could talk about her behind her back? She grew up with Qrow for crying out loud.

" **I know," said Juniper distantly as she took a few more steps, "I had to do it – I do know that. I just…"**

 **Juniper stopped again, and Jaune sighed.**

" **Then we will go home, girl," said Jaune.**

" **What?" yelped Juniper, with more emotion than she had in the other two responses.**

"Wait, what?" yelped Nora.

"But, they need to get out of Solitas to get to me!" protested Ruby.

"Seems like he found a way to get her going," said Ren.

" **To give up this easily, so close to the start…" began Jaune.**

" **Wait, no," declared Juniper as she made her way to the chain, "I'm not giving up. I can do this. I just have to, you know, catch my breath."**

 **As Juniper picked up the pace, Jaune couldn't help but pat Yang's ashes on his belt.**

" **It's a dick move, I know," muttered Jaune quietly.**

"Yep," said Tai, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang.

 **Juniper got to the chain, and pushed it. As it dangled, Jaune saw Juniper stand up, and make a brave face.**

" **Come on up. I'm ready," said Juniper.**

 **Jaune stared, and nodded before he grabbed the chain, and climbed up. He rejoined his daughter, and gestured for her to follow him. The two went down the halls of the old outpost, until they found an exit. There was a large sinkhole, but Jaune saw a ledge that they could cross if he got onto his toes, and hugged the ledge.**

" **Climb on, girl," said Jaune gently as he got onto his knee.**

 **Juniper grabbed onto his back, and Jaune sidled along the edge toward the other side of the gap.**

" **Listen to me, Juniper," said Jaune as they crossed the gap, "To be effective in combat, a warrior must not feel for their enemy. The road ahead is long and unforgiving... no place for a girl. You must be a warrior."**

" **I understand. I'm sor – I'll be better," said Juniper as Jaune got to the other side.**

Tai and Raven had differing reactions.

Tai was worried. Fights were unpredictable, and since there was no guarantee that Jaune would have been able to help in time, she did what she needed to do. What worried him was that he was forcing her to grow up too quickly too fast. He himself would have probably given Juniper the same talk Jaune did, but only after her emotions had settled. It seemed Arc had a "strike the iron while it's hot approach."

Raven was elated. The Arc boy was probably a lot like Tai Yang, if the ravings of Summer's child and her own daughter were any indicator. That wasn't bad, but there were things that Tai and Raven never saw eye to eye on when it came to raising Yang. Arc though, in this possible future at least, he knew the harshness of the world. She thought the way he talked Juniper through the first kill was as good as it could be given her age, and relative innocence. It was a blend of Tai's tone, along with her blunt explanations.

 **Jaune stopped, and turned to Juniper. He saw no lie in her eyes, only a grim determination. He rested a hand on her head, and pulled her in close.**

" **Good girl," whispered Jaune.**

 **As they left the building, Jaune saw something down the hill.**

" **What are those? Buildings?" asked Juniper, who saw it too.**

" **Forts like the one we came from usually had a village or town nearby," said Jaune, "Looks like we have a place to rest. Come, Juniper. We need to hurry, the sun's almost down."**

" **Y-Yes, sir," said Juniper, and she trailed after her father.**

…

"Poor Juniper," said Ruby.

"She's strong, and I think Jaune can help her get through it," said Tai.

"Dad…?" asked Yang.

"He's a bit of a hard ass here, and I don't like that it looks like he's forcing her to grow up. But given what went down… maybe a firmer hand is what she needs."

"Agreed," said Raven, "She did nothing wrong. Juniper's in good hands in this one," said Raven.

Yang blinked at Raven's words. She didn't know why, but she felt relieved _both_ of her parents approved of Jaune. It was strange. Yang told herself she wouldn't care for Raven's approval; her mother ditched her while she was in diapers after all.

Still… it was nice.

"Good thing lunch is here now! I could use a break," said Nora suddenly with a stretch.

"Yes," agreed Ren, "Given the size of the other three volumes, a break would be a good idea."

"The bathroom for me," said Kali, "Though, Ghira, can you see if the 'magic' kitchen has any anchovies. I could go for some pasta."

"Yes, dear," said Ghira.

"Wait. Pasta…?" gasped Blake who appeared before her parents, "You wouldn't happen to be talking about your anchovy-garlic pasta, would you?"

"Oh, did you miss my cooking?" asked Kali.

Blake tried not to nod feverishly. One of things she missed dearly since leaving home was her mom's cooking. The rations the White Fang provided were garbage compared to the meals Kali could bust out of the kitchen.

"Perhaps we could make some of the sandwiches Klein would make for us in our youth, Weiss. One of the joys of being in the military was learning how to make our own meals," suggested Winter to Weiss.

"Oh, that would be delightful," said Weiss.

"Ren can whip us up some food too!" said Nora.

"Me too," said Velvet.

KREEK…

All thoughts and talk ended, and everyone turned to the source of the noise.

The saw three people arrive at the door.

"Emerald? Mercury?" asked Ruby, and looked to the one in the middle behind them, "Um… Cinder, was it?"

"What? Cinder?" gasped Emerald, who whipped around.

"How did… Huh?" balked Mercury, who did the same.

Cinder looked every bit as shocked as her two cohorts. After all, she only opened the door to leave the White Fang safe house.

"So, I guess you have a few more guests, eh Archie?" chuckled Sun.

Archie was deathly still though, but none more so than Pyrrha.

"Oh, yes, Ms. Rose," Cinder said pleasantly to answer Ruby's question, "I'm so glad you remember me, and my teammates. Though I confess, this is not where I was expecting to end up when I went through the door."

"Yeah, I know this can be freaky, but Archie here will explain everything," said Ruby as she presented the robed figure.

Archie did not move, and there was an awkward silence.

"Um, hello," said Cinder graciously, "May I enquire as to where we are?"

"It's you…" said Pyrrha.

Everyone looked to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha had a myriad of images flash through her mind:

 _A black spectre with golden eyes…_

 _An elegant voice behind a concealing fan…_

 _Triumphant eyes hoping to crush Jaune in an unmanned city…_

 _A woman in a red dress with dark hair, a face covered in shadow save for her malicious golden eyes raised her open hand wreathed in fire…_

"You're the one Jaune spoke to in that potential future. The one who went after the fall maiden…" whispered Pyrrha.

Cinder, flinched, and everyone saw it. Immediately, Mercury and Emerald pulled out their weapons to protect their mistress, and Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, and Qrow responded-

"Ah, shit, our weapons," griped Qrow.

Emerald lunged with her kama scythes, and Mercury moved to kick. Archie appeared, and waved his hands. Emerald's weapons dissolved, and Archie caught Mercury's outstretched leg from his leg. The grip soon tighted and unfilled leg of his pants.

"My legs!" cried Mercury.

Emerald was aghast at what happened.

"Now then," began Archie as he turned to Cinder, "As for you-"

SPPLLLKKK

Everyone stared in shock as Archie's hood was torn from his head, and a red liquid filled the air. A hand covered his face, and all they saw was a blonde mop of hair.

"Archie!" shouted Ruby.

A black claw that came from a stretched out black arm from Cinder had sliced at the Archivist. There was a triumphant look on Cinder's face.

"Why you…" began Yang.

Suddenly, Archie's hand grabbed Cinder's blackened wrist, and there was an audible crack.

"NGH!" grunted Cinder.

"You're fast…" said Archie, who covered his face with his other hand, "I had forgotten about that part of you. It's one thing to see it, but another to experience such a blow."

Archie's hand and face suddenly glowed, and blinding light filled the room.

"GAHH!" shouted everyone, as the covered their eyes.

However, there was one, Ruby Rose, who was not blinded, and her eyes widened by what she saw. When the light faded, Cinder gripped her arm, and Archie had a new hood on his head. He held up a worm-like grimm in his hand.

"Such a wicked thing in this sacred place. You won't need this offensive creature anymore, Fall Maiden," said Archie.

Two bright lights, where Archie's eyes would have been, shone brightly, and the grimm dissolved into nothingness. He then waved a hand, and the three were wrapped in an ethereal orb. Emerald tried to kick the orb open, but it merely rippled.

"Take some time to cool off. You'll be in there for quite some time," said Archie, who then turned to the other viewers, "I will be back momentarily. I must tend to my injury."

Archie turned around, and left the three assailants to stew. There was an awkward atmosphere in the archive now. Ruby ignored it though, something more pressing on her mind.

'Why does Archie have Jaune's face?' she thought

…

 **A/N: So, this is going to be either the last, or second to last main chapter of God of War. The reason for this is because I want to devote more time to other potential futures with the other RWBY-verse girls. If I keep focusing on Yang as the potential future, it might come off as favoritism, or something.**

 **Also, yeah, Cinder here now. How's that for a cliffhanger? There's a lot in this chapter process, and well, see you around for intermission to answer some of it.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The list that led up to Pyrrha figuring out who Cinder was a list of Cinder's appearances throughout the Archive viewings. Considering Jaune indicated that Cinder killed Pyrrha, in the second God of War chapter, she was definitely keeping an eye out for clues.**

 **Some of Raven's reactions, and thoughts are based on my own theories on Raven. Some were debunked in Volume 5, but others were rekindled by some fan theories about Raven post Volume 5. If she seems OOC for some of you, well, it's just my interpretation of her.**

…

 **Thank you for reading, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

 **Preview: Intermission #2**


	24. Intermission-LOTR

**Alright, I'm glad everyone liked the scene I used for God of War, and the reactions from Tai and Raven.**

 **Now, there are some concerns over why I put in Cinder, and her crew in. I got the idea from an old samurai movie, I forget the name, which I saw back when I was in high school. In all honesty, I would have published the chapter a week sooner, if not for the mental back-and-forth I had with myself over whether or not I should do it. However, I decided to put in the troublesome trio for two big reasons.**

 **One, I didn't want to keep using Raven, or Ilia for the more villainous/morally grey reactions. Two, there are reaction ideas I have planned that involve Cinder, Emerald, or Mercury as a major role.**

 **I guess only time will tell if this was a good idea, or not.**

 **Now this may disappoint some of you, but there will be no reaction discussions in the forefront like in the last intermission. I planned to have it, especially something of a heart to heart between Tai Yang, Yang, and Raven. However, Cinder's sudden arrival kind of threw a wrench into that as I was writing this chapter. Call it an unintended casualty of an impulsive decision.**

 **Sorry… However, I hope the last portion makes it up to you all.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Intermission**

"So…" began Tai awkwardly as most of the others at the dining table picked at their food, "The pasta's great, Ms. Kali. Did you use shallots in the sauce mix as well?"

"Yes," said Kali, a little too brightly then added a laugh for good measure, "It's adds a nice additional flavor to the anchovies and pasta."

The students ate quietly, and the non-academy adults, Winter, and Ilia looked to one another awkwardly.

"So... Ilia," began Ghira, "How is Sienna?"

Ilia sighed.

"Okay, I know things got a lot more awkward now that the creepy red lady is here…" began Ilia.

" _I heard that! You are dead!"_ everyone heard Cinder from the other room.

Everyone rolled their eyes, but all of them were relieved that the dining room of the Archive that Archie set up was separate from the viewing area.

"But seriously, can we be a little more lively?" finished Ilia, "I mean Archie locked her up in that… spirit bubble thing. She can't hurt us."

"She killed me," said Pyrrha, "Forgive me for not eating with more gusto."

"No, she didn't kill you. She _possibly_ kills you," clarified Ilia.

"…Archie did mention it as a potential future, after all," supplied Ren.

"Yeah," chirped in Nora, "Now that we know who Creepy Red Lady is, we know whose legs we have to break."

"Just one problem," pointed out Weiss, "Didn't Archie refer to her as 'Fall Maiden?' Need I remind you that the first time we saw them, Juniper's maiden powers forced a nanook off its paws? And that was when she had little control over her abilities. I suspect Fall has more command of her powers than Juniper did."

"Are maidens that strong?" asked Ghira.

"Yeah," said Blake, "Incredibly so."

Silence descended on the table once more.

"Way to be a killjoy, Weiss," said Yang, who downed a can of soda.

"I'm just stating facts," sighed Weiss.

"I agree with Weiss," said Blake, "The way Juniper attacked that grimm, a maiden is a lot more powerful than some Atlas prototype mecha suit. Her attack didn't even need dust. How do we fight someone like that?"

Silence reigned at the table once more.

"Teamwork."

Everyone turned to Qrow, and everyone, even Ozpin's circle, looked to him.

"One on one, a person would be mincemeat before that kind of power… given what Juniper did to that overgrown teddy bear," said Qrow with carefully chosen words; no need to mention how he saved Amber, "In a team though, you might be able to fight a maiden on even footing."

"That's right!" agreed Sun, "If you got people watching your backs, you can overcome anything. Plus with teammates, you can hit a lone enemy where they least expect it."

"Works all the time on some of our training missions against the grimm," added Coco.

"If we all work together, then I'm sure even we twelve students can beat a maiden," said Velvet.

The words of encouragement made everyone feel better.

"Speaking of _twelve_ students, where's Ms. Rose?" asked Glynda as she tallied those present.

"She followed our dear host," said Raven in the corner as she got a beer in one hand and sifted through the fridge with the other.

"Archie? Why?" asked Weiss, with a tilted head.

"Maybe she wished to voice her concerns regarding Cinder," said Ozpin, "I have… several of my own."

"RGH, No, no, NO!" rambled Nora.

Everyone looked at her, confused by the outburst.

"We just had an inspirational lesson on teamwork! No more talking about Creepy Red Lady!" continued Nora, "We just saw a great lineup of drama and badassery this glorious morning, and dammit, that's what we're going to talk about at the table and that's final."

"Ms. Valkeryie, language," reminded Glynda.

"Actualy, I agree," said Winter, "A change in topic would certain make lunch more enjoyable."

"I agre – ACK-HACK!" said Penny in a choked voice as pasta spilled from her mouth.

"Penny, smaller bites, and no talking when your mouth is full. We don't want you to choke," yelped Ironwood as he got up and made his way over to the robot turned human to see if she was okay.

xXxXx

Archie held a glowing hand to his face to make sure evidence of the grimm attack was fully tended to. When he was done, Archie readjusted his hood, and walked out of his washroom.

"I hear something exciting happened."

Archie tensed and whipped around to the direction of the voice. He saw a glamorous woman in a sleeveless, silk tunic dress by the door that led to the elevator into the archive's viewing station. She had skin like a pale moonlight, and bouncing purple hair like a galaxy's arm. Her starlight colored eyes looked at Archie with bemusement as he suddenly got to his knees.

"Lady Fatum!" he said in prostration.

"Arise, Archie," said Fatum, with a giggle, "Archie…' Such an amusing name your guests have bestowed upon you."

"Eh-heh… Wait," gasped Archie, "My lady, since you are here, does that mean Lord Aeon has at last replied to my concerns?"

"My husband…?" asked Lady Fatum, "Yes, he sent me to tell you that he has noted your concerns. He is currently surveying affected branches of the Archive, as well as preparing others that are sure to be affected from future viewings of, well, the future."

Archie blanched a little, but nodded in acceptance.

"Well, at least he had not forgotten. I was worried of a reprimand from the Supreme One, or Lord Chronos," said Archie.

"Worry not about Lord Chronos. The Supreme One has given Aeon permission to show the futures, my brother-in-law will have no cause for fuss."

Archie sighed in relief.

"I do have an additional instruction from my husband," said Fatum, and Archie stood with rapt attention, "He told me to tell you to keep an eye on your latest guests."

"My Lady…" began Archie, "The guests you speak of. The acts they commit-"

"Are not your concern," said Fatum simply, and Archie silenced, "An archivist such as yourself need not be troubled with the morality of those outside their authority."

"Their… positions in opposing factions can lead to conflict, my lady," said Arhcie in cordially desperate manner.

"Be that as it may," began Lady Fatum, "They are here because their entry has been allowed, and as such, their needs must be met. Keep them within your sight, or keep them in the prison you made for them if it pleases you. However, they are guests, and you will show them all due courtesies."

"F-Forgive me," said Archie with a deep bow.

Fatum's stare softened, and she tilted his face up by the chin with her delicate finger.

"Do not be worried," she said soothingly, "Those miscreants will soon settle in, as have all the others. Just carry on as you have always done."

"Of course, I understand," said Archie.

Lady Fatum nodded.

"Though if I may be so bold as to ask…" began Archie tentatively.

"Hmm…?"

"My earlier requests for clarification on the archive's situation… Lord Aeon is not typically busy, at least not to the point of ignoring or brushing off the concerns of his servants. May I ask what delayed him?" the archivist asked politely.

Fatum stared, before she gave a smile that set off alarm bells in Archie. He had a feeling that he would regret asking the question.

"Lord Aeon went through a Cycle of Renewal," said Lady Fatum.

"You mean his current, er, previous form reached the end of its life?" asked Archie, "I see."

Lord Aeon was the god of cyclical time, and of the multiverse. His most blatant form of his authority in such matters was his Cycle of Renewal, where upon his "death" he is reborn and renewed. However while this showed the cycle of beginning, end, and renewal, the representation of the multiverse came from the fact that Aeon had a new form and a new personality. Some forms of Lord Aeon were refined, others were boorish, and some were even madmen.

"I see, he needed time to regain his strength from the process. That's why he couldn't respond," said Archie.

"Oh no, he had the strength to respond, he was just… distracted," said Lady Fatum with a blush and giggle.

"Distracted?" asked Archie.

"Let's just say…" her blush intensified, "Let's just say, he's attentively affectionate this time around."

"Attentively… Oh," said Archie.

"Any more questions?" asked Lady Fatum with a smirk.

"No, no, I understand," said Archie hurriedly.

Lady Fatum tittered, and her form became more ethereal.

"Now then, I shall take my leave. Now go on your way, I believe you have a young lady waiting for you."

Archie tilted his head in confusion as Lady Fatum faded from the Archive.

After a moment, Archie got up, and moved to the elevator. When he finished his descent, the door opened, and he was surprised to see Ruby sitting at the wall across from him drowsily.

"Miss Rose?"

"I wasn't sleeping, Professor Oobleck!" Ruby shouted as she shot up to her feet, "Oh, wait, Archie. Um, how's your head?"

"Fine, Ms. Rose, fine," said Archie.

"Great! That's good," said Ruby cheerfully, "It's just… you were able to deal with everyone else's weapons so easily. We were all shocked to see you get hurt."

"Hmm, I see," said Archie, "The reason why Miss Fall was able to strike and inflict an injury upon me was because of the grimm inside her body. Unlike the weapons of mortals, the Creatures of Grimm are beings forged by a god. As such, they are able to harm a servant of the divine such as myself. "

"A god?" asked Ruby, "Was it a… evil god?"

"Depends on your perspective, though there are wicked gods and entities," said Archie, "As I mentioned when we first met, there is much the people of Remnant have forgotten. This god I speak of did create the grimm, but he also bestowed a gift for humanity, along with his brother, to protect them from his darker creations."

"What kind of gift?" asked Ruby, curious.

"…I wish I could say," said Archie.

"You can't? Why not?" asked Ruby.

"You are _fated_ to know it, Miss Rose. I have seen it," said Archie, "Given your current situation, it may be from me when you see another future, or perhaps when you return to your world, you will learn from the entity that reveals it to you. Let things run their course, please."

"…Alright, I'll let it go. But if I find out through the viewings, I'll ask about it again. Fair?" asked Ruby with an outstretched hand."

"Fair," said Archie, and he shook her hand.

"Now then, I believe you should get some lunch before we continue watching," said Archie.

"Okay," said Ruby.

As the two went down the hall to the viewing area and kitchen area, Ruby looked back to Archie's hood.

'His face… I'll ask him later. He must have a lot on his mind, now that Cinder is here,' she thought quietly.

xXxXx

"Mmm… Ah! Soo good!" moaned Raven.

"Do you have to do that here?!" screamed Mercury.

Raven had a large ribeye steak with fries and a tall cold beer, and was making a real show of eating it in front of Archie's newest prisoners… guests?

'Oh well, it doesn't matter,' thought Raven as she picked up a french fry, and at it ever so slowly.

"So hungry…" grumbled Mercury.

"Oh gods, Mercury, will you please shut up," growled Emerald as her own stomach growled.

"You aren't helping," said Cinder, her own stomach began to call for food too.

"First me legs, now this…" said Mercury.

"Miss Branwen, what are you doing?"

The four turned to see Archie with a confused Ruby.

"Eating lunch," shrugged Raven.

"Without the others?"

"Tai, and Yang are there. Not sure they want mommy-dearest with them at the moment," said Raven who took a gulp of her beer, "Besides, those Belladonnas and the lizard girl were debating the methods for pursuing equal rights when I got my beer. Political discussions, and Xiao Longs; why on earth would I put myself in that situation?"

Ruby made to growl, but Archie gestured for her to stop.

"Get some food, Miss Rose. Your father and sister are probably wondering where you are," said Archie.

Ruby nodded, and moved to the kitchen and dining area. When Ruby was gone, Archie walked past Raven, and approached the ethereal prison.

"Now then, I'm sure you're all hungry. What can I get for you?" asked Archie.

Emerald, and Mercury looked to Cinder, who frowned.

"Who are you? What is this place?" demanded Cinder.

"Wouldn't you want to eat first?" asked Archie, "A full stomach would help you accept my explanation."

Cinder was about to retort when her stomach, as well her companions', growled at the prospect of food.

"I can even throw in a hot bath, and make your sphere more comfortable," said Archie in a sing-song fashion.

Cinder's eye twitched a little…

"What kind of food…?" she asked.

Archie smirked.

'Mention a hot bath and some comforts, and suddenly they relax, if only slightly,' Archie thought before he cleared his throat, "Name it," said Archie.

"You'll give us anything?" asked Cinder.

Archie nodded.

"Venison," said Cinder.

"That's a rather extravagant request by human standards, Miss Fall," mused Archie, "Still, I'll get it."

"Um…" began Mercury, "A burger, with fries?"

"Of course," said Archie, "Also…"

Archie snapped his fingers, and suddenly Mercury's pant legs filled.

"They aren't your old legs; no one here has their weapon, Mister Black," said Archie, "You instead have a standard prosthetic commonly sold by most medical dealers."

"Better than nothing…" Mercury sighed in relief as he rubbed his new legs.

Archie then turned to Emerald.

"And you, Miss Sustrai," began Archie, "What would you like to eat?"

"…Grilled cheese sandwich with potato chips," said Emerald.

"Very well," said Archie as he snapped his fingers.

Suddeny, the glowing orb they were trapped in dimmed, and expanded. They were now in a large ethereal box, and they plopped down onto a comfy cushions that appeared beneath them. As they landed, magical plates with their respective dishes appeared and floated in front of them.

"A venison sandwich?" asked Cinder, who saw her request between two slices of bread.

"Don't be picky. Besides, you're hardly in a position to eat with silverware," said Archie who waved a hand.

Three glasses of water with ice appeared, and the three looked to one another. Cinder nodded, and they began to eat. Thirty minutes later, the other viewers filed out of the dining area just as Cinder and her cohorts finished their own meals. Archie waved his hand and their plates, along with Raven's, disappeared.

Raven took that as her cue to get back to her chair, not at all interested in hearing Archie's explanation again. Midway to the cushion though, she decided to get a beer, and went back to the kitchen area.

There was something of a stare down between Cinder and her crew, with Ruby and Pyrrha along with their friends.

"Now then, let's discuss why you're here…" began Archie as he ignored the tension in the room…

…

"…And that is why you're here," said Archie.

"So… we're just watching movies about that clumsy Jaune guy?" asked Emerald.

"Wow, you remembered his name?" asked Mercury, "I just know him as 'Nikos' leader."

"…Is this what 'divine' entities do all day? Watch people? No wonder the people of Remnant stopped worshipping you a long time ago," said Cinder in a mocking tone.

"It's significantly more complicated than that," said Archie.

"Well, we've got time apparently," said Cinder as she gestured to the ethereal cube she and cohorts were in, "Explain to me why we need to be here to watch this… forgettable individual."

"Watch it, lady," growled Yang.

"Miss Xiao Long," said Archie, catching Yang's attention, "I fear I must warn you all: please do not harass her, or her compatriots unnecessarily."

"Huh?" gasped Yang.

"But she hurt you," said Ruby.

"Not to mention-" began Pyrrha, but Archie raised a hand to halt her thoughts.

"Yes she hurt me, and many _others_ , I'm sure," said Archie. Pyrrha clamped her mouth shut, "I am not pleased with this change in situation either. However they are here, for good or ill, and as such they are under my protection, same as you. Besides, without that… foul thing that was in her, and with her and her companions in containment, they are incapable of inflicting physical harm. Are we clear?

There was a dissatisfied look on all parties involved, save Raven. Still Ruby, and friends nodded in acceptance.

"I could explain further, Miss Fall," began Archie, "But I doubt you'd listen to the ramblings of one such as me. It is better to 'show' you, shall we say."

Cinder scoffed with her arms crossed.

Archie ignored the gesture. He pushed a hand into the air, and the room and furniture expanded further out. With his other hand, Archie pulled the prison cube closer to the screen, which made Cinder and her gang slip onto their backs due to the suddenness. As Ruby and company giggled, Archie got up to go to the volume bin.

He picked up one of the large volumes, and placed it atop the VCR instead of within.

"So… What are we watching?" asked Weiss, deciding to break the silence.

"The return of a king…" said Archie vaguely as the lights went down.

…

 **There was chanting in the black screen.**

" _ **The world is changed…"**_

"Is that Ms. Goodwitch?" asked Velvet.

"It sounds like it," said Coco.

"Am I narrating?" asked Glynda.

" _ **I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air,"**_ **continued Glynda,** _ **"Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it."**_

"Maybe I should have asked for popcorn too," whispered Mercury.

"Really?" asked Emerald.

"Hey, it's a movie," shrugged Mercury.

Snap…

Three boxes of popcorn appeared in the ethereal prison, the smell of theater butter filled it instantly.

"Nice," said Mercury who began to eat.

"Someone's enjoying themselves," muttered Cinder.

Emerald tried really hard not to eat the popcorn since Cinder seemed irritated.

'But the smell…' she thought with a watering mouth.

 **The darkness of the screen gave way to the sight of molten liquid being poured into a mold.**

" _ **It began with the forging of the great rings,"**_ **spoke Glynda,** _ **"Three were given to the elves: immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings."**_

 **Three figures, including Glynda herself, examined the exquisitely crafted rings on their hands. Glynda beheld hers with amazement, and when it shone the wind gently picked up around her and she gasped in awe.**

"Are those rings magical?" asked Ruby.

"Another magical land?" asked Blake, who then shrugged, "Well, elves exist here apparently so I guess that makes sense."

" _ **Seven to the dwarf lords: great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls,"**_ **continued Glynda.**

"Oh yeah! Dwarves rule," cheered Nora.

"You just like them because they have weapons similar to yours in the books," said Ren.

"That's what makes them awesome," said Ruby.

"That's right," said Nora with a fist bump that Ruby returned.

Pyrrha, despite the situation with the new additions in the audience, giggled a little at the sight.

It was a welcome distraction from the current development.

 **Seven short, burly, bearded men assembled around a round stone pedestal, and picked up their rings in triumph.**

" _ **And nine,"**_ **said Glynda with a tone of finality as the image of nine human kings holding rings of their own,** _ **"Nine rings were gifted to the race of men, who above all else, desire power."**_

"All too true," said Ozpin sadly.

With all the time he spent living in Remnant, Ozpin had seen many a great king, or queen, kill and destroy others in their pursuit of power.

'Though such behavior was not limited to the high born either,' he thought as he glanced to Cinder.

" _ **For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race,"**_ **said Glynda.**

"Why a ring though?" asked Coco, "I mean they can be stylish and cool, but why a ring?"

"Rings have always been symbols of authority," said Winter, "The Emperor of Mantle, for instance, had two tools to make his authority in official matters known. The royal seal for proclamations, and his ring which he used as a stamp for official correspondences."

"So I'm guessing a lot of magic power is in those rings," said Sun.

Cinder, for the first time since arriving in the Archive, looked intrigued, and got the popcorn.

Emerald saw this with a side glance, and chose to wait a minute before getting hers.

" _ **But, they were all of them, deceived,"**_ **said Glynda,** _ **"For another ring was made."**_

"If elves, dwarves, and humans are the principal races in this realm, who else would need a ring?" thought Ironwood aloud.

"Someone bad, if Goodwitch had to say 'decieved," said Qrow.

" _ **In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Dame Salem forged in secret a master ring to control all the others,"**_ **began Glynda.**

 **A feminine figure clad in plate armor, a black cape, and helm that resembled a horse's skull held molten gold in her hand.**

Cinder gulped, and she felt a chill. Salem was terrifying enough, not that she'd admit it, but a single glance told her this was one version of Salem that she did not want to be around.

Ozpin shuddered at the sight, and a memory from the past stirred…

" _Are you sure you don't want to try on armor?" asked Ozma._

" _No! I'd look ridiculous," Salem giggled._

" _Really? I think you'd look…" began Ozma as he wrapped his arms around his beloved's hips, "Arousing."_

 _Salem smiled coyly._

" _Well… In that case, I'll think about it…" whispered Salem._

…

Ozpin felt a pain in his heart at the old memory. It was a joke at the time, but now? Now, it seemed a cruel irony, despite this being a different version of Salem.

 **With a knife, Salem stabbed the pool of gold until the tip pierced her palm. Her spirit spilled into the gold, which glowed brightly, and she tilted her palm to allow the molten metal to coil around her ring finger.**

" _ **And into this ring, she poured her cruelty, her malice, and her will to dominate all life,"**_ **Glynda finished.**

" _ **One ring to rule them all."**_

"Wait, can those rings be controlled by this Dark Dame's?" asked Kali.

"It would appear so," began Ozpin, "She must have considerable power if that's the case."

"What an interesting hypothesis. However did you come up with it, Ozpin?" asked Cinder knowingly, and a tad too sweetly.

"Quiet, you," said Qrow, as Ozpin sent Cinder a heated glare.

"Not quite," began Archie, and everyone turned to him, "Salem took on the form of skilled craftswoman, and tricked the elves into forging the rings for the three races according to her specifications. Once they were complete, she made hers to assume control over all of them."

"She can shapeshift?" asked Ozpin, shocked.

Even in the era where he was known as Ozma, such magic was beyond the reach of mere mortal teaching. Only those who had the honor and privilege of being taught by one of the brothers could attain such power.

"Did it work?" gasped Velvet.

"To a degree," said Archie.

 **A map of the world appeared, and from the lands of Mordor in the southeast, a black wave spilled from the borders and moved west and north at a rapid pace.**

"Figures it's not set in Remnant," said Sun.

"Boo! It would be so cool if there were dwarves in Remnant," said Nora.

"Humans barely tolerate faunus," said Ilia, "I don't think short hairy guys would be an alternative they would get behind."

"Well…" began Archie.

" _ **One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the ring,"**_ **told Glynda before the screen went black again,** _ **"But there were some, who resisted."**_

 **Two vast armies now appeared on the screen. One army wore silver-colored armor with cloaks of blue and grey. They were bearded, rugged, and had helms with the motifs of sea birds. The other army wore armor of gold leaf, with hues of spring green. They wore fine silks, and had youthful faces with eyes that could only be described as ancient.**

" _ **A last alliance of men, and elves, marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth."**_

"As I was saying in this world, humanity gets along with the other two races most times," said Archie.

"Really?" asked Ghira and Blake at the same time, and they looked at the viewing with more interest.

Emerald got her popcorn, and began to eat.

'It's like an action film,' Emerald gushed on the inside.

 **The army they faced wore black armor of twisted metal. Their faces were a mangled and ruined mess, some with piercings, and others with sloppily done stitches. They had jagged fangs for teeth, creped and warty skin, and hissed and howled about like beasts.**

"Are those goblins?" asked Ruby.

"Orcs actually, if the description of them in fantasy novels is anything to go by," said Ren.

"I guess that's this universe's version of the Grimm," said Yang.

 **The army of men shot volleys of arrows into the horde before them, thought it did little to stop the charging wave of orcs. Among the elves, who began to brace themselves for the charge, one lone elf stood about as he gave orders. He had a fair face covered in the soot from the mountain, long white hair, and ice blue eyes.**

" _ **Ready arrows!"**_ **he ordered in the elven tongue.**

 **The archers behind nocked the arrows, and drew their bows.**

"Grandfather?!" gasped Weiss, who remembered the old photos of her grandfather from his youth.

"He's a leader in the elven army?" asked Winter, "Would that mean our family are elven in origin."

" _ **Loose!"**_ **shouted Nicholas.**

 **The arrows from the elves flew safely past his head, and the heads of all the melee fighters that formed a protective wall for the archers, and into the enemy orcs.**

"That's some accuracy," said Kali.

"The amount of discipline and trust it would take to pull that off is astonishing," said Ironwood, impressed.

Even Cinder looked impressed. An archer had to account for things like wind and drag, and had to lead a shot to ensure accuracy. To be able to fire an arrow in between the bodies of allies in a tight formation without hitting them was a feat worthy of praise.

 **The orc lines were about to collide when the elven front line drew their swords to cut down the enemy before engaging them in the melee. Fighting was brutal and bloody. Red and black blood flew about and mingled with the soot and ash. Silver and gold pushed steadily against the black, and the alliance gained ground.**

 **At the head of the alliance were two figures: an elf with a mighty glaive, and a human with a sword raised high to rally his men.**

"Crocea Mors?" gasped Pyrrha.

Everyone got a good look at the man.

"That's not Jaune," said Ren.

"Wait, Jaune said Crocea Mors is his family's ancestral sword," said Ruby.

"So, it's just one of fearless leader's ancestors?" asked Nora.

"Obviously," snorted Raven.

"Seriously, Archie, you couldn't put her in a bubble too?" asked Qrow, who got an empty bottle to the head, courtesy of his sister.

"She hasn't tried to kill me," shrugged Archie.

" _ **Victory was near…"**_ **began Glynda.**

 **Nicholas cut down an orc when he felt a sense of dread. He looked to his hand to see the ring on his finger glow slightly.**

" _ **Why is his majesty's ring…?"**_ **began Nicholas.**

"Is grandfather the bearer of one of the rings?" asked Winter, "I didn't see him among the three that were shown earlier.

"He is," said Archie, "In this universe, your grandfather is the herald of the high king of the elves. The ring was given to him for safekeeping."

"I see," said Winter with a bit of pride in her voice.

Weiss also beamed at the prospect of her grandfather being so trusted by royalty.

 **Suddenly the air chilled, and the sounds of clashing steel halted. Nicholas looked up, and fear filled his face. A lone figure moved through the mass of orcs that began to back away from the elves and men.**

"… _ **But the power of the ring could not be undone."**_

 **Salem had taken the field, and the elves and men gasped at her height, the size of her mace, and most of all the glow of the One Ring.**

 **The archers of the elves and humans fired a volley at Salem, but before the arrows could reach her, her ring glowed. Salem, who lunged into her foes with shocking speed, barely noticed any arrows that bounced off her armor, and swung her mace.**

 **CKKKRR-SSSSPPPPLLLTT!**

 **The sound of bone and metal shattering filled the air as a large swathe of the human-elf alliance was sent hurtling into the air from the swing of the mace.**

"Damn! How much power is she packing," remarked Mercury.

'A lot…' Cinder thought as a bead of sweat fell from her brow.

Cinder once saw Salem kill a beowolf with two fingers during one of her early training sessions to prepare to face a maiden. Somehow, Cinder thought that Salem in this universe was holding back a little.

 **Salem swung again, and again. Scores of humans and elves were flung like ragdolls as she casually cut into the lines of her enemy.**

" _ **Mistress of Lies!"**_

 **Salem stopped, and turned to see a spearhead cut through the air to her helm. Salem back stepped and avoided the strike. She got a good look at her assailant, and saw an elf in fine armor.**

" _ **High King Gil-Galad. You dare challenge me, elfling?"**_ **hissed Salem in the Black Speech.**

" _ **I shall send you to the void; to your master!"**_ **declared the elf.**

 **The elf lunged and thrusted his spear at Salem. Salem dodged, but the elven glaive swung down and struck a pauldron. Salem hissed in annoyance, and swung her mace. Gil-Galad dodged the strike, and thrusted again, this time at the belly. He retracted his weapon as Salem's mace swung down to try and break his glaive. Gil-Galad twirled, and used the butt of his spear to knock the helm of Salem. Salem's neck twisted with the strike, and Gil-Galad saw his opportunity when a gap in Salem's armor exposed itself.**

"You can do it! Take her down!" cheered Ruby.

 **The glaive spun from its earlier position, and Gil-Galad thrusted.**

 **Clack!**

 **Salem's free hand caught the glaive but the blade, and the thrust was immediately halted. Salem let go of her mace, and stood upright to look down at the elven high king.**

"Knew it," said Raven, "That opportunity seemed too perfect."

"…Yeah," agreed Qrow after some analysis, "That much armor being pushed by the butt of a spear?"

"Not to mention the height and muscle difference between the elf and Salem," said Ozpin sadly.

 **Before Gil-Galad could do anything, Salem pulled the polearm of her enemy, and grabbed the high king by the neck. As she lifted him up, she looked at his hands which desperately tied to pry her grip.**

" _ **Where is the ring I gave you?"**_ **asked Salem.**

" _ **My people… did not bow to Morgoth,"**_ **gasped Gil-Galad,** _ **"We will not bow to you…"**_

" _ **If you will not bow, you will burn,"**_ **said Salem.**

 **Immediately, steam and smoke rose from Gil-Galad's skin, and the high king's skin began to ripple.**

" **AHHHHHHHHHH!" Gil-Galad shrieked before fire engulfed him.**

 **The sight of their high king burning terrified the elves, and they began to waver from their post.**

"It was foolish of that king to challenge her like that," said Cinder with an evil smile.

While the others glared, Ozpin and Raven silently agreed. Ozpin's agreement stemmed from Salem's methods of subjugation as they tried to unite the world under one banner. Raven's agreement came from the fact that Salem was not defeated, despite Ozpin's long life and efforts, which told her Salem was either too powerful, or too dangerous.

" _ **Your majesty!"**_ **cried Nicholas.**

 **Suddenly, Salem turned to the voice, and saw Nicholas' hand.**

" _ **So, that's where it was,"**_ **said Salem.**

"Grandfather!" gasped Weiss, and Winter tensed in fear.

 **She marched to Nicholas, who readied his blade. Before she could close the gap though, two more figures in fine armor arrived and stood before the Dark Dame of Mordor.**

" **Isildur, protect Nicholas," said one of the men.**

" **Yes, father," said Isildur, a young man with a fine face and azure eyes.**

"Whoa, for minute I thought that was Jaune," said Velvet.

"The eyes are the same color, and there are similarities in the face, but that's not him," said Pyrrha.

"The name kind of indicated it wasn't him," scoffed Emerald.

They wanted to glare at Emerald, but she did have a point.

" **King Elendil, Prince Isildur," gasped Nicholas in the common tongue.**

" _ **King Elendil,"**_ **mused Salem,** _ **"How fares Numenor?"**_

" **You witch, your lies destroyed our land. I shall avenge my people, and my friend High King Gil-Galad," declared Elendil.**

 **Elendil charged with his sword Crocea Mors, and Salem swung her mace. Elendil ducked to avoid the swing, and slashed his sword at her right greave. Salem roared and swung again, but Elendil side stepped and slashed at her free arm. Before he could retract his blade to ready another blow though, Salem's ring glowed.**

" _ **Enough of this farce,"**_ **hissed Salem.**

 **She swung her mace, and her weapon collided with Elendil's chest.**

"There goes another," snorted Mercury.

"Why you…" growled Yang.

"Miss Xiao Long…" warned Archie.

Yang grumbled, as Mercury smugly relaxed.

" **Father!" shouted Isildur, who watched in horror as the body of his father smashed hard against a rock.**

 **Isildur ran to his father's side, and knelt to see to him. However, he only saw King Elendil's eyes roll lazily before they shut. Isildur began to cry, and though the army of men was now beginning to waver, Isildur could only hear the heavy steps of Salem's greaves. He turned to see the witch look down at him, and in a fit of rage, he grabbed Crocea Mors-**

 **STAMP!**

 **Isilidur watched as Salem's boot smashed the blade into multiple shards. He now had only a handle, and a jagged blade.**

"Run away, you fool," shouted Raven.

 **Salem reached for Isildur's neck, but Isildur swung regardless.**

" **AAAHHHH!" screamed Salem, as her gauntlet was sliced, and her fingers fell. Isilidur saw that the ring had dropped, still attached to the finger. Before he could do anything, the wind began to pick up. Isildur looked up, and saw the seams and gaps in Salems armor glow white.**

 **BOOM!**

 **Isildur was pushed back to the ground, along with the three armies from the force of the explosion, though none were harmed. When the wind died, Isildur saw the helm of Salem fall to the ground.**

" _ **Salem, the enemy of the free peoples of Middle Earth, was defeated,"**_ **continued Glynda.**

"Wait, that was all it took?!" gasped Cinder.

Everyone actually agreed with her, and looked to Archie for some explanation.

"When she forged the ring," began Archie, "Salem poured much of her essence and power into it. If the ring were to be forcibly removed from her, the power would leave."

"And Salem would be no more…?" finished Ozpin.

Archie simply gestured to the screen.

 **Isildur grasped the ring finger of Salem's gauntlet, and it crumbled into dust leaving only the ring.**

" _ **The ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil, forever…"**_ **said Glynda.**

"In this universe, in order to defeat Salem, the ring must be destroyed," said Archie.

 **Isildur was on his horse with a contingent of soldiers at his back. He was in armor, and had a fine silver chain around his neck that held the ring to his chest.**

" _ **But the hearts of men are easily corrupted, and the Ring of Power has a will of its own."**_

"Does he think to control her power?" gasped Ozpin in a rare burst of anger.

"The race of men, who above all else, desire power…" recalled Glynda, as she remembered her counterpart's words.

"Fool," said Ozpin.

 **Before anyone knew what was happening, orcs lunged from the sides of the path Isildur and his men marched through. Isildur was knocked from his horse, but he was able to get up. He saw his men being slaughtered and he pulled the ring from his necklace, and after some hesitation, put it on, and turned invisible.**

"Whoa, it can turn him invisible?" gasped Emerald before her eyes sparkled, "If I had that ring… I could be swimming in lien."

"You'd remember your good pal, Mercury though, right?" asked Mercury, equally interested.

"As if," scoffed Emerald.

Cinder also smiled in interest, and she thought of all the things she could do with the ability to turn invisible.

 **Nearby bushes were rustled, and then a splash into river.**

"He's abandoning his men?" gasped Pyrrha.

"Coward!" accused Winter.

 **Suddenly Isildur became visible, and the ring, slightly bigger than what Isildur remembered shrank back to normal size as the current carried it off.**

"Wait, the ring can change size?" gasped Kali.

"It must be Salem's essence in the ring," said Ren, "Miss Goodwitch's counterpart, and Archie both said things that boil down to the ring being powered by magic that Salem devised."

"Which means that only Salem can safely use it," said Blake.

"…There go my dreams," sighed Emerald.

Cinder sighed in agreement as both her, and Emerald's designs for such a ring vanished.

 **He reached out for it when suddenly, his eyes widened with shock, and his mouth opened to release air bubbles. On the surface at the river bank, three orc archers cheered before going back to kill the rest of the soldiers. Isildur's is back had three arrows to his back as he floated down the river.**

"This might sound bad, but I don't really feel sorry for that guy," said Sun.

"I'd be shocked if you did," said Ghira.

"He deserved it," spat Ilia, "Leaving behind his men to save his own hide."

" _ **It betrayed Isildur to his death, and some things that should not have been forgotten were lost,"**_ **said Glynda,** _ **"History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge."**_

 **At the lake bottom, a golden glint was ensnared by a hand.**

" _ **Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer,"**_ **said Glynda.**

 **The hand opened up, and the ring shone brightly.**

" **My… Precious…" sighed a twisted voice.**

Everyone felt a chill in their spine as the voice oozed into their minds.

" _ **The ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains, and there, it consumed her…"**_ **said Glynda.**

 **In a cave, amidst the bones of fish, and the skittering of roaches there was only darkness. The only light was from a hole in the ceiling, and a ray of moonlight revealed a hunched silhouette looking at its hand.**

" **It came to me. My own. My love. My own. My… Precious," Gollum muttered madly.**

"That ring… Something about it must corrupt the bearer," said Ozpin.

"Are you sure it wasn't deranged, or something before it got it?" asked Weiss.

"That's a possibility as well," said Ozpin.

"In that case, the ring must be making it worse," said Pyrrha.

" _ **The ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned her mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's Cave, it waited,"**_ **said Glynda,** _ **"Darkness crept back in the forests of the world, rumor grew of a shadow in the east, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived. It's time had now come."**_

 **The ring fell from a tattered pouch as Gollum moved.**

" _ **It abandoned Gollum,"**_ **said Glynda as the ring landed on the ground with a flat, silent thud,** _ **"But something happened the ring did not intend."**_

 **Sometime after it fell, a hand picked up a golden ring covered with some specks of dirt on it.**

" **What's this…?" asked a voice.**

"Is that me?" asked Tai.

"Sounds like you," said Ghira.

" _ **It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable: a hobbit. Tai Yang Xiao Long of the Shire,"**_ **said Glynda with a bemused voice.**

 **Tai Yang got up, and revealed himself wearing trousers, a waist coat, and a jacket with a sword at his side. He was half the height of a full-grown man, with big hairy bare feet.**

"Dad?!" gasped Ruby and Yang in surprise.

"Ugh… is that me?" gasped Tai.

Raven and Qrow couldn't help but laugh.

"Why're you so short? And what's with the feet?" hooted Qrow.

"Well, I'm clearly not human in this one," grumbled Tai.

" **A ring?" asked Tai in appraising voice as he smiled.**

" **LOST!"**

 **Tai immediately got to his feet, and pocketed his new trinket.**

" **NGGGHHHH! MY PRECIOUS IS LOST!" cried Gollum in the distance.**

" _ **For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all,"**_ **finished Glynda.**

 **The screen went black…**

"So, is dad going to be the one who destroys the ring?" asked Ruby.

"You'll see, Miss Rose," said Archie.

…

 **A/N: Okay, so before we end this, let me clarify some concerns.**

 **No, Salem and her cohorts will not be arriving.**

 **No, Adam will not be showing up.**

 **No, Lord Aeon is not a Time Lord, though the Cycle of Renewal was inspired by regeneration.**

 **No, Archie does not have silver eyes. But I will say this though: he is tied to Jaune himself.**

 **I also chose to end it with a taste of what's to come with Lord of the Rings. I won't totally rewrite the epic, because that's seriously insane. I'll just cover the key points of Jaune's journey throughout, and important parts on the ring's journey. Also, I may make references to the** _ **Silmarillion**_ **, a Middle Earth lore codex for those who are unfamiliar with Tolkien's full list of works, through Archie or character dialogue, FYI.**

 **Also, I'm not changing the genders to suit the story. Some of the reactions depend on it.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Fatum is a latin word for "fate." She is mildly inspired by the Classical Roman interpretation of fate itself. As is with Aeon and Chronos, I am taking liberties with the nature of Lady Fatum. Her appearance was loosely inspired by Princess Luna from MLP… Don't judge me.**

 **For those who are not caught up with the RWBY series, the gift of the God of Darkness to humanity that Archie mentions to Ruby is magic.**

 **The Battle of the Fields of Dagorlad in the LOTR opening was inspired by the theatrical, and extended versions, as well as a storyboard for the scene.**

 **I chose to set the LOTR reactions in middle earth for geographical reasons, and because magic now takes on the form of dust in Remnant. Some of the more magically-inclined elements, like ents and eagles, likely do not exist in Remnant. I mean I could put them in, but given Salem's hunting of the powerful bloodlines like the silver-eyed warriors, who received power from a god she despises, it's possible for her to eradicate those big ticket entities on her own.**

…

 **Thank you for reading, and please review.**

 **Preview of Projected Chapters:**

 **Chapter 25: Strider**

 **Chapter 26: Council**

 **Chapter 27: The Mountain and the Mine**

 **Chapter 28: Leaves of Lorien**

 **Chapter 29: Our People**


	25. LOTR-FOR: Strider

**Okay, so some good feedback on the Prologue portion of the Lord of the Rings. As for why there's no Jaune, I just needed to set up the prologue for the next ten or so chapters… Yeah, that's a lot of chapters for one reality.**

 **So, I'm doing the whole trilogy in succession, as I'm sure the past two chapters indicated. Again, it is only the key points of Jaune's journey, and the ring's. I saw one reaction writer do multiple chapters on a single reality in succession, so I thought I'd try it out. Plus, I remember having to wait a whole year for the next movie in the trilogy. Not fun…**

 **As I mentioned, I will be using elements the movies, including the extended editions, as well as the books, and the Silmarillion. Furthermore, I will also be toying with some of the bloodlines and character relations to make the story flow better with the Remnant cast. Nothing too drastic though, so don't worry.**

 **Enjoy…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 25 – Strider**

 **In a tavern, four short, hooded figures entered from the pouring rain outside. Immediately they were hit with the smell of beer, meats, and the warmth of the fire. Laughter, and songs were in the air, and four individuals removed their hoods. They were hobbits: Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Sun Wukong, and Neptune Vasilias.**

"There we are!" said Ruby excitedly to Yang.

"Yeah… Short with hairy feet," grumbled Yang, unexcitedly.

"I kind of wish Neptune was here watching," said Sun before he laughed, "I could give him so much grief over this."

"He's unimportant," muttered Archie.

"Did you say something?" asked Weiss.

"N-Nothing, Miss Schnee. Just a cough," said Archie.

Neptune was important in this universe, but he rarely ever was in many of the multiverse situations Jaune found himself in.

 **Yang, Sun, and Neptune looked to Ruby, who then approached the counter.**

" **Um… Excuse me?" she squeaked.**

 **A large burly man with a bushy brown beard looked over the counter, confused, before he looked down at Ruby.**

" **Good evening, friends," he began, "What can I do for you? If you're looking accommodations, we've got some nice, cozy hobbit-sized rooms available. Always proud to cater to those little folk, Miss…"**

"… **Underhill," said Ruby carefully, "My name is Underhill."**

"… **Underhill, hmm?" responded the innkeeper.**

"An alias? Is someone after Ruby here?" asked Blake.

"It would explain the hoods," said Pyrrha.

"Do you suppose Salem is hunting her?" asked Ren.

"More than likely. Wouldn't you want to reclaim what is yours by right?" sniped in Cinder.

"No one asked your opinion, Creepy Red Lady," said Nora.

"But my viewership is valued, it seems. Isn't that right, Archie?" asked Cinder sweetly.

"Unfortunately," said Archie.

" **We're friends of Ozpin the Grey," began Ruby excitedly, "Can you tell him we've arrived?"**

" **Ozpin…? Ozpin…" thought the innkeeper aloud, "Oh, yes, I remember. Elderly chap; big grey beard, pointy hat…"**

"Oz is a wizard?" asked Qrow as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Ozpin the Grey… I like the title, though I wish it was 'Green;' personal preference," said Ozpin.

 **Ruby nodded.**

" **Not seen him for six month," said the innkeeper.**

 **Ruby's face fell, and worry and concern were etched on her face. When she faced the others, Yang leaned in.**

" **What do we do now?" she asked.**

" **Let's get a table," said Ruby after a moment's thought, "We should fill in Sun and Neptune about what's going on anyway."**

"Yay, context!" cheered Nora.

"Good, we can see what the situation is," said Winter, to which Ironwood nodded in agreement.

 **The four got to a free table, and sat down before anyone else could. Once they were settled, Ruby looked over her shoulder and to the sides, before she pulled out a golden ring.**

" **What's that?" asked Sun.**

" **A ring, obviously," said Neptune.**

" **No, I mean, why is she showing it to us?" asked Sun.**

" **This was our father's ring," said Ruby as she gestured to Yang and herself, "He found it when he followed Thorin Oakenshield to the Lonely Mountain."**

" **So what does that have to do with you leaving the Shire?" asked Neptune.**

" **It's actually more dangerous than it looks," said Yang.**

" **It is?" asked Sun.**

" **Those riders, the ones that tried to catch us," began Ruby, "According to Ozpin, there are people just like that after it. That's why we left the Shire. We were supposed to meet Ozpin so we could move onto our next course of action."**

"A narrow escape? So, I guess this Salem has some cronies looking for the ring," said Ilia.

"My counterpart probably left home to avoid getting other people hurt," said Ruby.

"Wait… Ozpin made you leave without an escort of some kind?" asked Tai, worried.

"That's dumb," remarked Raven, "That Ring is some good quality loot. No one in their right mind should leave such a thing unprotected."

"Sometimes secrecy is the best protection. It draws far less attention than an army," said Ozpin.

" **Maybe he's running late," said Sun.**

" **He did say he needed to speak to the head of the wizards…" allowed Ruby, "Still, it's not like him to be late."**

"The head of the wizards? Like a council?" asked Glynda.

"Well that explains why it's taking so long," said Qrow, "Our council takes forever when making decisions."

"I somehow doubt the wizards are like the councils of the kingdoms," said Ironwood.

" **Well, there's not much we can do now, since he's not here," said Neptune, "Besides, I'm thirsty."**

" **I'm hungry," threw in Sun.**

"… **Some food and drink would help," said Yang, "Besides, maybe it will pass the time, and Ozpin will be here before we know it."**

 **Ruby looked worried, but her own growling stomach made her agree with the others.**

"So then, where's Ozpin?" asked Blake, "I mean, back in the White Fang, we had backup plans in case something went wrong with meeting up with a contact. If Ozpin's not here, there should have been a message for Ruby, or another trusted individual."

"Assuming there is an organized front against Salem, one of two options would account for being late," began Ironwood, "Ozpin, or someone else is currently on their way back, but weather or, heaven forbid, an ambush occurred. The second… Qrow is right and they are still in deliberation on what to do."

"You left out one more, dear general: treachery," said Cinder.

Everyone tensed before sending a heated glare at the woman. Ozpin though...

'It _is_ a possibility…' he thought, based on past experiences.

 **The scene now showed Sun, Yang, Ruby at a table with expressions of fatigue, and a couple of empty cups on their table.**

"Looks like something did go wrong," said Pyrrha.

"We don't know that," said Nora.

 **Yang looked around nervously.**

" **Yang, he'll be here," insisted Ruby, "He'll come."**

 **Despite her own earlier reassurances, Yang was starting to doubt. In all honesty, it was also hard for Ruby to stay positive about the situation. She could already notice both unfriendly, and suspicious looks from the other patrons. Just then, Neptune returned with a large mug of ale, and Sun looked shocked.**

" **What's that?" he asked in awe.**

" **This, my friend, is a pint," said Neptune excitedly.**

" **It comes in pints?" asked Sun, and Neptune made an affirmative sound, "I'm getting one!"**

" **You've had enough for two already!" pointed out Yang, but Sun was already halfway to the bar.**

"Boys, and beer," scoffed Emerald.

"I know, right?" added Ilia.

There was a pause between the two groups, and Emerald and Ilia had an awkward glance at one another before going back to watching.

 **As Ruby watched her friend get his drink, she felt a tap on her shoulder from Yang.**

" **That fellow's done nothing but stare at us since we arrived," said Yang.**

 **Ruby looked discretely in the direction that Yang gestured to. She saw a tall man with a light blonde beard wrapped in a traveler's hood as he held a smoking pipe. His face was obscured by the hood, so she couldn't tell what he actually looked like, but she knew Yang was right and that he was looking at them with great interest. The innkeeper walked by with two mugs and a loaf of fresh bread, when Ruby put her hand forth.**

" **Excuse me," she began politely, and the innkeeper stopped and bent to face her, "That man in the corner, who is he?"**

 **The man glanced, and his eyes widened in fright before he turned back to her.**

" **He's one of them Rangers," he shuddered, "Dangerous folk they are, wandering the wilds. What his real name is, I've never heard, but around here, he's known as Strider."**

 **The innkeeper walked away quickly.**

" **Strider…" said Ruby.**

 **She looked to the side again, and saw a light from the pipe. For the briefest moment, she saw two azure eyes that looked at her like a hawk.**

"A blonde beard, and two azure eyes… Is that Jaune?" asked Ren.

"An older one, again, if it is," said Blake.

"Ooh… The ones where Jaune's older are usually good," said Nora.

 **Ruby darted her eyes away, and sat in silence as she pulled out the ring. Her fingers played with it under the table, and she felt her mind relax…**

… _ **by.**_

"What was that?" asked Ruby.

"Doesn't sound too good," said Sun.

 **The noise died down.**

 _ **Ruby…**_

"Is that noise coming from the ring?" asked Weiss.

"Is it trying to influence her?" asked Velvet.

 **It was so nice and quiet.**

 _ **Ruby…**_

 **So peaceful.**

 _ **Ruby.**_

 **Peaceful…**

 _ **RUBY!**_

 **Ruby's eyes shot open.**

" **That voice…" Ruby whispered.**

"Salem…" said Ozpin, "Her essence."

" **From the shire, of course!"**

 **Ruby, Neptune, and Yang whipped to the counter, and saw Sun with some humans**

" **You see…" Sun began drunkenly, "We have this really important thing to do… with this really important thing… But, we can't do it yet because a friend of ours isn't here!"**

"Idiot!" yelped Sun.

"I'd go with 'inexperienced' more," said Penny, "Based on… personal experience, I can tell that is your counterpart's first time adventuring."

"…Still," said Sun.

 **Ruby immediately clenched the ring in her hand, got to her feet, and ran to the bar. As she did, Strider stopped smoking and watched the scene with great interest.**

" **SUN!" yelped Ruby as she grabbed him by the coat.**

" **Steady on, Ruby," yelped Sun as he brushed off Ruby's grasp.**

 **Ruby tripped backward from Sun's action, and she fell onto her back. The ring slipped from her hand and up into the air.**

 **Strider's jaw dropped as he saw the ring spin up, then down.**

 **Ruby caught the ring with her finger, and it slipped on just before she vanished. Yang, Neptune, and Sun stared aghast as the entire tavern burst into an uproar of surprise.**

"Well, that's going to cause a commotion," said Mercury, "If people are after that ring, it's only a matter of time."

"Not just that," added Raven, "If secrecy was the whole point, Wukong's drunkenness, and Rose's desperation to keep him quiet were dead giveaways that they had something important."

Ruby and Sun winced a little, not finding many arguments to answer in the defense of their counterparts.

 **Ruby blinked, and clenched her face at the sound of a harsh wind. She saw the shapes of people all around, but they and the world seemed distorted and ready to tear.**

"Is that what the world looks like when you turn invisible?" asked Emerald, "Now I'm definitely not going to want that ring."

"It's far more than just a distorted vision of the world," began Archie, "This is the Realm of the Unseen. A realm that exists at the crossroads of life and death. One of many forms of 'Limbo' that exist across the multiverse."

"The ring takes you to a realm of undeath?" gasped Ozpin.

"That's freaky," said Tai.

"And scary," shuddered Ruby, which got Yang to hold her close.

" _ **You cannot hide…"**_ **said a harsh, feminine voice.**

 **Ruby felt heat at her back, and she turned around. Ruby trembled in fear at the sight of a single, lidless eye engulfed in flames. The eye seemed to roar as it stared at her, and the more it glowed, the hotter she felt.**

" _ **I SEE YOU!"**_ **the eye shouted.**

"Salem…?" gasped Ozpin.

"Defeated, but not quite diminished. The ring keeps her tethered to the brink," said Archie.

RWBY, NPR, and the other students and academy adults shuddered at the sight of the eye. Cinder had to keep her from shrinking in on herself. The eye reminded her of the early days of training under Salem. It was harsh, and Cinder learned through the pain to never show weakness when Salem watched.

 **Ruby backed away, as her free hand reached for the ring.**

" _ **THERE IS NO LIFE IN THE VOID! ONLY DEATH!"**_ **said the eye.**

 **Ruby pulled off the ring.**

 **There was no more eye.**

 **There was no more darkness, or blazing inferno. Just the light and sounds of the tavern, and the gentle warmth of the hearth.**

"Thank goodness," said Tai.

"Yeah, that was scary," said Ruby.

 **A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder, and her head whipped to see Strider with a frown on his face.**

" **You draw far too much attention to yourself, Miss Underhill," Strider whispered harshly.**

"So, it is Jaune!" declared Pyrrha, "He doesn't sound quite as rough as the one with Juniper, but I can tell it's his voice."

"Sounds like him," said Coco, "But… let's not jump to conclusions. His name is Strider after all."

"It's clearly an alias," said Velvet, "…I hope it's an alias."

 **Strider lifted up the young hobbit, and forced her up the stairs, through the upper hallway, and into one of the rooms. He pushed her in, and shut the door.**

"Well, that's creepy," said Emerald.

Tai, and Qrow growled in agreement.

" **What do you want?" asked Ruby, worried.**

" **A little more caution from you. That is no trinket you carry," said Strider.**

" **I carry nothing," Ruby denied.**

" **Indeed," scoffed Strider as he put out the candles in the room, "I can avoid being seen, if I wish. But to disappear entirely? That is a rare gift."**

 **The room was now dark, safe for the small hearth burning in the room. Strider then removed his cloak's hood. Strider appeared middle aged and had weathered white skin, azure eyes, blonde hair that went down past the shoulders, and facial hair neatly trimmed in a clean circle beard.**

"It is Jaune!" declared Nora.

"So it was an alias," said Ren.

"Hello…" said Coco as she tilted her shades.

"W-Well… he's certainly..." stammered Pyrrha with a blush.

"Rugged," said Yang and Velvet together.

"Woof…" said Winter, Glynda, Raven, and Cinder at the same time.

Everyone looked at those women with varying degrees of disbelief.

"He's cute…" began Kali, "But I've got my Ghira."

Ghira puffed up his chest as Kali began to stroke it with a finger.

"MOM!" yelped Blake.

" **Who are you?" asked Ruby.**

" **Are you frightened?" asked Strider.**

"… **Yes," said Ruby.**

" **Not nearly frightened enough," said Jaune, "I know what hunts you."**

 **Strider moved to approach Ruby when the door flung open. He immediately drew his sword, and faced the door. Three hobbits appeared: Yang with her fists ready, Neptune with a candlestick, and Sun with a chair.**

" **Let her go!" shouted Yang, "Or I'll have you, longshanks!"**

"How terrifying…" said Emerald sarcastically.

"Shut it, Mushroom Head," said Nora.

"Mushroom?!" yelped Emerald as Mercury laughed.

 **Strider sighed in relief, and sheathed his blade.**

" **You have a stout heart, little hobbit," began Strider, "But that will not save you."**

 **Strider then turned to Ruby.**

" **You can no longer wait for the wizard, Ruby," said Strider, "They're coming."**

 **At the town gate, the gatekeeper heard some of the horses in the outer stables acting up. He got from his post, and opened a small window the size of his face on the door.**

 **His eyes widened – CRASH**

 **The gate fell off their hinges, and slammed the gate keeper flat. Several riders in black cloaks rode and trampled over the gate. The riders' horses maneuvered the tight, cobbled streets of the town with an unnatural speed and ease until they came to a tavern.**

"Well, that didn't take long," said Raven.

"My counterpart did say that had escaped some riders," said Ruby.

"Good thing you did," said Ilia.

Something felt wrong about them.

 **The owner looked outside from the window of the now empty and quiet tavern, and saw the glowing red eyes of the horse, and he ducked behind the counter immediately.**

 **SLAM!**

 **The riders slammed the door, and with swords drawn, moved with purpose to the upper levels, while the innkeeper hid while his body shook with fright. The riders entered a room with four filled beds in silence. They flowed into the room like a mist pushed by a gentle breeze.**

"Please tell me we didn't stay in the same place," said Yang.

"I doubt it," said Weiss.

 **The room briefly lit up with the reflecting moonlight of their drawn swords as the held the blade upright. Their movements shifted from a gentle flow to an orchestrated stalk as the four approached the four beds in the room. Once they were in position, the let the blade gently swing point down, and raised them high…**

 **SSSPPPPPPTTT**

 **SLLLSSSHHHHH**

 **SPP-SHHHHHH**

 **SSSSPPPPYYSSH**

 **The four blade fell and rose with such force and vigor, they could be heard from the neighboring buildings, but no one dared to stir and investigate…**

Everyone gasped, or held in their breath.

 **The riders pulled the sheets off to see their victims – down feathers fluttered in the air.**

" **EEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAGGGHHHHH!"**

Everyone winced at the sound of the rider's shriek.

 **Another blanket was pulled – more feathers.**

" **AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRR!"**

 **Another blanket, another ghastly shriek.**

"Yeah… I'm with Ilia. Glad you weren't caught," said Sun

Ruby shuddered.

 **Across the street, Strider watched the inn he took the hobbits from with a hand resting on his sword. Amidst the haunted wails, he heard the violent, yet distant shuffling of furniture, and saw the riders' black steed neigh and rear up in fury.**

" **What are they?" asked Ruby from the side of her bed.**

 **Strider turned to her, a placid look on his face as the shrieks rang through the night.**

" **They were once men," began Strider, "Great kings of men. Then Salem the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question, one by one falling into darkness."**

"The nine kings from the beginning?" asked Glynda.

"Those rings did turned them into that?" gasped Weiss, "What about grandfather and Miss Goodwitch?

"Worry not," began Archie, "Sixteen rings were initially made, but the three for the elves were crafted in secret, without Salem's knowledge or interference, due to some suspicions. When Salem enacted her plan with the master ring, the elves saw through the ruse, and took off their rings in defiance."

"I imagine that didn't go very well," said Tai.

"No, it did not," said Archie, "Salem immediately sent an army to sack the elven city that housed the rings, and he then gave them to the dwarves and mortal men. Although any ring of power was subject to Salem's domination, again, the plan didn't quite work. The dwarves merely became greedier, but were too stubborn to succumb to Salem. Mortal men though, fell quite easily, and eventually became those creatures."

Everyone nodded, but Cinder had thoughts of her own…

" _I can make you strong,"_ said Salem, _"Anything you desire can be achieved… If you follow me."_

Cinder shook her head. Salem was a bitch, but she did not lie to her…

 **Strider looked back out the window, and saw the riders had gotten back on their horses and rode off.**

" **Now they are slaves to her will," said Strider.**

Cinder frowned.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" asked Emerald.

"…Fine," growled Cinder.

Emerald just looked back to the screen.

" **They are the Nazgul: Ring Waiths; neither living nor dead," declared Strider, "At all times they feel the presence of The Ring. Drawn to the power of The One, they will never stop hunting you."**

 **Ruby, and the others, gulped.**

" **Get some rest, little hobbits," said Strider calmly, "I will watch over you this night."**

 **Ruby turned to the others and nodded.**

"Well, at least they have some protection now, though they should still be cautious," said Winter.

"Yes, Jaune is still outnumbered," said Pyrrha.

"He at least seems to have the experience to handle the situation," said Glynda.

 **The next morning, with a new pony in tow, Strider led Ruby and the others through the forests.**

" **Where are you taking us?" asked Ruby.**

" **Into the wilds," said Strider, who barely spared her a glance.**

 **As they walked through the woods, Neptune leaned into Ruby's ear.**

" **How do we know this 'Strider' is a friend of Ozpin?" asked Neptune with a look of suspicion.**

"It's a good thing they're reasonably suspicious," said Weiss.

"But, that's Jaune," pointed out Ruby.

"Would you follow someone who says 'Hi, I'm your friend,' just like that?" asked Weiss with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes, she would," said Emerald, who remembered being friendly with Ruby after 'apprehending' Roman.

"Urk!" Ruby coughed.

"I did! That's how we became friends, remember Ruby!" cheered Penny.

Weiss sighed in disbelief as Ruby's face matched her name.

 **Strider tilted his head a little as he led the small group.**

"… **I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer, yet feel fouler," whispered Ruby as she watched the man leading them move through the woods with ease.**

" **He's foul enough," whispered Neptune.**

 **Strider cocked an eyebrow, before he brushed it off as he moved.**

" **We have no choice but to trust him," said Ruby.**

" **But where's he taking us?" asked Yang.**

" **To Rivendell, Miss Xiao Long," announced Strider loudly.**

 **The four hobbits were stunned for a moment.**

" **To the House of Nicholas," Strider finished.**

" **Did you hear that?" asked Yang excitedly, "Rivendell. We're going to see the elves."**

"We're going to see more of grandfather?" asked Weiss with surprise and excitement.

"Elves are immortal to age and disease. Many elves range from hundreds to thousands of years old," said Archie.

"I wonder if father is here as well," thought Winter aloud.

Weiss suddenly became less excited.

 **Any excitement about seeing elves did not last long. The journey through the woods to Rivendell was fraught with experiences that the hobbits were not used to.**

 **Deep water bogs…**

"Wet clothes and cold wind," chuckled Raven, "That would be very uncomfortable for those unfamiliar with the wilds."

"You're telling me," shuddered Blake, who remembered early mission outside of warm, sunny Menagerie.

"Yes, that took a lot of getting used to when I enlisted," said Winter, with an exasperated nostalgia.

 **Biting insects…**

"Yuck! Where's the bug spray when you need it," gagged Yang.

"Are you still sore about your early camping trips?" asked Tai.

"Oh, yeah," chuckled Qrow, "There was this one universe where she practically relived her memories."

"Don't remind me," shuddered Yang.

 **The hard ground where they slept…**

"That looks rough," said Mercury.

"The streets are worse," said Emerald, "People will jump you while you sleep, and food is hard to come by unless you do dumpster diving. At least in the wilderness, you can eat what you can catch, and if you find a safe enough spot, you can get some sleep."

"You didn't go to a soup kitchen, or homeless shelter, or something?" asked Mercury.

"No. It takes one desperate person, or one do-gooder to lose a day's worth of 'earnings' going to those places," scoffed Emerald.

"Earnings? Right…" drawled out Mercury.

 **Eventually, the group came upon a hill with what looked like a ruined castle.**

" **This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul. We shall rest here tonight," said Strider.**

 **They climbed the hill, and found a nice alcove between the stone hill and the castle foundations to rest in. As they settled down, Strider looked around the tower, and found a number of swords in what was once the armory. He got some of the shorter blades and returned to the resting hobbits.**

" **These are for you," he said and he handed each of them a sword, "Keep them close. I'm going to take a look around. Stay here."**

 **Strider got up and left.**

"Wait, he's leaving them?" gasped Kali.

"That is such a bad idea," said Velvet.

"Perhaps," said Winter, "However, if he is going to scout around, than it seems a good tactical decision.

"So long as he returns soon, it shouldn't be too much of an issue," said Ozpin.

" **We should unpack and rest," said Ruby as she unfurled her rucksack.**

" **What do you suppose he's looking for?" asked Yang.**

" **Probably just going to survey the area," said Ruby before she lied down and pulled a blanket over her.**

"As I suspected," said Winter.

 **Ruby stirred at the smell of bacon, and she turned over to see a small campfire burning in the middle of their makeshift camp. Ruby also noticed that it was nightfall, and the campfire, however small, could likely be seen for miles.**

"As I suspected," said Velvet, much to Winter's dismay.

" **What are you doing?!" she yelped.**

" **Tomatoes, sausage, and nice, crispy bacon," said Neptune.**

" **We saved some for you, Ruby," offered Yang.**

"I don't think it's quite sunken into their heads how dangerous the situation is," said Ghira, "Did they forget they were being pursued?"

"They're new to this," defended Tai Yang.

"Yeah, well, they still goofed up," grumbled Qrow.

" **Put it out, you fools! Put it out!" shouted Ruby as she scrambled to her feet, and kicked dirt onto the fire.**

" **Hey! You got ashes in my-"**

" _ **EEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAGGGHHHHH!"**_

 **Any arguments died there, and the four hobbits scrambled to their feet. They looked down from their position, and saw black shapes with swords approach the hill.**

"Shit," cursed Yang.

"Finally, some action," said Mercury.

"Shh…" hissed Emerald, who didn't want Mercury to talk.

Cinder simply looked on with mild interest, as the others got engrossed.

" **Go!" shouted Ruby as she drew her sword.**

 **The other three drew their own swords, and the four went up nearby stone stairs. The four soon found themselves at the top of the ruins of the watchtower, and the formed a protective circle to watch one another's backs. There was an eerie silence as their hearts hammered, and they hoped that Strider had heard the wraiths and was on his way to help.**

 **Suddenly, Ruby felt cold, as though a frigid hand gripped her heart, and she turned. In the darkness of one of the archways, she saw rippling moonlight. As it got closer, Ruby was at last face to face with their pursuers. There had been other encounters before Strider, but hiding and running never provided a clear look at their enemy.**

 **The Nazgul seemed like black smoke in the shape of a cloaked man. Its hands were sharp, articulated gauntlets, its feet were feet and legs were cold metal boots and greaves, but most frightening of all the creature's features was its lack of a face. There were no eyes to pierce the soul, nor a mouth to bare its teeth. Just a darkness that seemed cold, and endless.**

Everyone, especially Ozpin felt a chill looking at the creature. He had more experiences with death, and this creature on the screen gave him a sense of dread all too familiar with him.

 **The creature drew its sword, a long weathered blade with serration at certain points, and held it upright. It took a step forward, and the other three turned to face it along with Ruby. To the hobbits' horror, four more joined the first. As the hobbits backed away, the wraiths lowed their blades to the thrusting position.**

" **Back, you devils!" shouted Yang as she rushed them.**

 **Yang swung recklessly and formlessly, and after one of them parried her strikes twice, the wraith used the flat of its blade to knock back Yang into a nearby stone wall. Immediately, Sun and Neptune got together to form a protective wall in front of Ruby. However, it was a fruitless effort as two wraiths from the sides grabbed them and hurtled them away.**

"Where's Jaune?!" yelped Ruby.

"He's on his way, no doubt," reassured Pyrrha.

"Yeah, no way he couldn't have heard that shriek," said Nora.

"He shouldn't have left in the first place," growled Tai Yang.

 **Alone, and in a panic, Ruby dropped her blade. She backed away, but tripped her heel on a loose stone in the floor. As she stumbled, there was a whispering in her ear.**

 **She pulled out the ring, and whispering grew louder.**

 **However, one wraith of the group turned to see the ring, and he strode forward with purpose. The other four made way in an almost bowing motion, as this lone wraith sheathed his sword, and drew a smaller blade.**

"The ring? Is it trying to communicate with that thing?" asked Cinder.

"…That would make sense," responded Ozpin, reluctantly, "That creature is clearly one of _her_ servants."

 **Ruby saw this, and backed herself into a wall.**

 **As the wraith raised its blade, Ruby slipped on the ring. She was once again in the world of distorted shapes, and roaring winds. However, unlike before where others were merely silhouettes, Ruby saw five white specters. They were tall, and graceful in their bearings. Yet their faces were stretched, and their skin appeared pulled and tight. Their bodies were gangly, and almost emaciated. They wore robes that would have been regal, had they not been so tattered, and there were crowns of twisted sharp metal on their head.**

" _ **They were once men. Great kings of men…"**_ **she remembered Strider's words.**

"Is that what their rings did to them?" gasped Weiss.

"Perhaps," said Ozpin, "Or perhaps, it was their lust for power that did it. The rings likely made it worse."

 **The one with the knife, reached out for her, and through some unseen force, the One Ring was drawn to the creature and pulled along Ruby's hand. The closer it got, the louder the whispers from the ring became.**

"No! Fight! Don't give it to him!" urged Ruby.

 **Ruby clenched her hand that the ring was on into a fist. With all her strength and willpower, she pulled her hand back, and denied the creature its prize.**

"Yeah!" cheered Ruby, Penny, and Yang.

 **The wraith's face contorted with indignation, and it thrusted it's blade into Ruby's shoulder.**

" **AAAHHH!" cried Ruby in pain.**

"Crap!" shouted Nora, Coco, Sun, and Ilia.

RWBY and Penny simply gasped in shock, while Tai and Qrow looked like they were about to try to lunge at the screen. Cinder couldn't help but smirk a little, while Emerald and Mercury dove more heavily into their popcorn.

 **Ice and fire, it felt like, burned from within her shoulder. The creature leaned in, determined to get the ring at long last.**

" **RAAAHHHH!"**

 **Ruby saw the creature look up in shock, before it pulled out the blade from her, the pain of which made her eyes snap shut for a moment. When she reopened them, she saw a black shape with a sword in one hand, and a fiery torch in the other, beat back the creatures. Strider had returned, and she pulled off the ring, and reappeared in the corporeal world.**

"Finally!" breathed out Weiss in relief.

"Go get them, fearless leader!" cheered Nora.

"Push them back, Jaune!" cheered Pyrrha.

" **Ruby!" Yang was at her side immediately, and was aghast at the wound in her shoulder.**

" **Oh, Yang…" winced Ruby as she squirmed in pain.**

 **Meanwhile, Strider attacked the wraiths with speed and ferocity. His sword bit into their cloaks, which made them shriek. However, for Strider, his sword strikes were merely a distraction, for he knew that because the Nine were trapped in a state of undeath, he could not kill a Nazgul. No, his true weapon was his torch. As Strider made an opening with his sword, he thrusted his torch into the flowing cloaks of the Nazgul, and set them ablaze.**

" **EEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAGGGHHHHH!"**

 **The one he set on fire panicked, and ran into another, which also set the second one on fire. With two enemies incapacitated, and a third one fleeing before it could be set alight, Strider attacked a fourth Nazgul with such fury that it fled from the battle.**

 **Yang, Sun and Neptune, the latter two who had just arrived at Ruby's side, watched in amazement as the five terrors were driven back one by one. There was still one left, and Strider noticed. It moved as though it were still searching for the ring. The moment it looked in Strider's direction though, the ranger tossed threw his torch at the cursed being. The torch lodged itself into the Nazgul's hood, and fire raced from the head down to the rest of its body.**

"My, how dashing," said Winter.

"Mm-hmm…" nodded Glynda.

"Are you for real?" asked Qrow.

 **As the last Nazgul dropped its sword and fled in burning terror, Strider went to hobbits.**

" **Strider!" called Yang, "Help her, Strider."**

 **As Strider examined Ruby's wound, he noticed the blade the Nazgul used.**

"… **She's been stabbed by a Morgul blade," ground out Jaune.**

 **The blade crumbled into dust, and he tossed the handle to the ground before he foisted Ruby into his arms.**

" **This is beyond my skill to heal," said Strider, "She needs elvish medicine. Hang on, Ruby."**

" **OZPIN! Help… please…" cried out Ruby deliriously as the group moved quickly.**

"Funny how the one person who could have prevented such a dangerous journey is nowhere present," said Cinder.

Ozpin shot Cinder a glare.

 **Sometime after the skirmish at Amon Sul, Jaune laid Ruby down between three massive stones.**

" **I never thought I would seek the protection of trolls," muttered Strider, as he looked to three massive stones.**

 **The stones were in fact trolls: hulking and brutish, with twisted pained faces.**

"Whoa, what are those?" asked Yang.

"Trolls, who had been turned to stone due to sunlight," said Archie.

"How'd that happen?" asked Tai.

"Your counterpart tricked the trolls into bickering how best to eat you, and your traveling companions until the sun rose," said Archie.

"Wait, how did you know what dad's counterpart did?" asked Ruby.

"He wrote a book about it in this universe," answered Archie.

 **Still, if there was one good thing about the trolls, it was that the statues provided a good makeshift barrier.**

" **She needs to rest," said Yang, "Her breathing is harsher."**

 **Strider nodded in agreement, though Yang was more concerned with Ruby to notice.**

" **Look, Ruby," began Yang as Ruby's head rolled deliriously, "It's dad's trolls."**

" **Hee… ha-huh…" croaked Ruby.**

" **Ruby?" cried Yang, as she tried to get her sister to focus.**

" **Is she going to die?" asked Sun in a panic.**

 **Strider, still on guard, turned to them.**

" **She is passing into the Shadow World," said Strider, "She will soon become a wraith like them."**

"What?!" gasped Ruby.

"That blade must have had a powerful poison if it could do that," said Blake, worried.

" _ **EEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAGGGHHHHH!"**_

 **Ruby tried to respond with a cry of his own.**

" **They're close…" gulped Neptune.**

" **Yang, do you know the Athelas plant?" asked Strider as he approached the short blonde.**

" **Uh… Athelas?" asked Yang.**

" **Kingsfoil," clarified Strider.**

" **Kingsfoil, ah, it's a weed," said Yang.**

" **It may help to slow the poison. We must hurry," said Strider.**

 **Yang and Strider went around the area of the stone trolls, and looked for the weed they sought after.**

" **Found some," said Yang, who held the weed up high for the torchlight.**

" **Go back to your sister. I will get the rest of what we need here," said Strider.**

 **Yang nodded and ran back to the group. Strider turned back to what he was doing, and was about to cut his own patch.**

 **Hss…**

 **He felt something cold and sharp press against his neck, and he froze.**

"Oh no! Is it them?" gasped Ruby.

"Wouldn't it have gone through his neck instead of tapping it?" pointed out Emerald.

"That is an excellent point, Miss Sustrai," said Penny.

"Miss..?" Emerald echoed in confusion.

" **What's this? A Ranger caught off his guard?" asked an amused feminine voice.**

"Wait… I know that voice," said Pyrrha.

So did Weiss, and Winter.

 **Ruby's head rolled to the side, and suddenly a bright light filled the area. A figure wreathed in pure white light on a horse rode in, and dismounted. As it approached, the light faded, and figure revealed itself to be a woman with long flowing white hair with a diadem on her head. She had ice blue eyes, an elegant face, and wore riding attire in blue and white hues.**

"Weiss?" gasped Winter.

"Yay! Weiss to the rescue!" cheered Ruby.

Weiss was a little in awe of her counterpart, though she thought the entrance was a little over the top.

"They must be close to their destination then," said Blake.

"Damn, Weiss, you look like amazing," said Yang.

"I know I have a breathtaking appearance, but the glowing aura is a little much," said Weiss.

" **Ruby…" she called to her with an elegant lilt.**

 **Ruby felt enraptured by the voice.**

" _ **I'm Weiss – I've come to help you,"**_ **said the woman,** _ **"Hear my voice, come back to the light…"**_

 **Ruby's breathing steadied somewhat, and the tension in her body washed away. Weiss, immediately knelt next to Ruby, along with Strider, and the two examined the wound.**

" **Who is she?" asked Neptune, awestruck as Strider crewed on the weed he plucked.**

" **She's an elf…" said Yang.**

" **She is fading…" said Weiss, as the elf and man looked at the wound, "She's not going to last."**

 **Strider put the gnashed weed into the wound, and Ruby gasped in pain.**

"That cannot be sanitary," said Penny, "There are a myriad of bacteria in the human oral cavity. Wouldn't the risk of infection be rather high?"

"Unless they have a mortar and pestle on them, their options would be limited," said Glynda.

"If nothing else, think of it as battlefield medicine," said Ironwood, "It will do until they get her proper medical attention."

" **We must get her to my grandfather," said Weiss.**

 **Jaune nodded, and lifter Ruby up.**

" **Where are you taking her?" asked Neptune.**

" **I've been looking for you for two days," said Weiss, as Strider carried Ruby to the horse, "There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know."**

 **Once Strider sat Ruby in the saddle, he turned to Weiss.**

" _ **Stay with the hobbits – I'll send horses for you,"**_ **said Strider in Elvish.**

" _ **I'm the faster rider – I'll take her,"**_ **responded Weiss.**

" _ **The road is too dangerous,"**_ **said Strider as he shook his head.**

" **What are they saying?" asked Sun, as the three remaining hobbits looked at the exchange in confusion.**

" _ **If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him,"**_ **said Weiss, as she gripped one of the horse's reigns, "I do not fear them."**

 **Jaune put a hand over Weiss' and gently squeezed it.**

"Well, looks like Vomit Boy gets the princess in this one," teased Yang.

"Well… isn't that lovely," said Pyrrha in a tight voice.

"I-It's just another universe," stammered Weiss, "It's still Arc. Even if he's taller, and more rugged, and… and more skilled with his sword…"

"I bet," said Kali.

Weiss blushed heavily, and Pyrrha ground her teeth.

 **He gave her a nod, and helped her up the saddle.**

" **Weiss…" began Strider as she secured Ruby to her and her steed. She faced him, "Ride hard. Don't look back."**

 **Weiss nodded and spurred on her horse while saying words of encouragement in elven.**

" **What are you doing?!" yelled Yang, "Those wraiths are still out there!"**

 **Strider had a worried look on his face.**

"Aww... He's worried about you," said Ruby.

"Please, neither Jaune nor Yang's counterpart needs to be worried, I am quite the skilled rider," scoffed Weiss.

"Really?" asked Yang.

"Yes," answered Weiss, "I own a number of horses, and have been riding since I was young. The only one in my family who surpasses me is… was, mother."

"She no longer rides?" asked Ruby.

"She… is unable to do so anymore," said Weiss.

"How about you, Winter?" asked Ironwood.

"No," she answered flatly, "Unlike my mother, or sister, I failed to grasp the appeal of those four legged dung monsters."

 **As the sun rose, a grey horse with an elven rider and a hobbit galloped hard and fast through the plains, and into the bush of the wilds. Weiss held Ruby close to her when her ears picked up a noise in the distance. She glanced to the side, and saw dark shapes move through some small trees. When Weiss was free of the small thicket, the shapes revealed themselves to be none other than the Nazgul.**

 **All nine of them.**

"Looks like those five called their buddies," said Mercury.

"You think they're going to catch them?" asked Emerald.

"Nah. It would a short viewing if they got the ring now," said Mercury.

"But wouldn't that be exciting," mused Cinder.

"NO!" said everyone.

"Well, maybe a little," said Penny, "The theories would be quite numerous, though I lack the knowledge of this world's-"

Penny noticed everyone stared at her.

"I mean, 'no,' of course," corrected Penny.

" **EEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAGGGHHHHH!"**

" **AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRR!"**

 **The howls of the creatures made Ruby wince, and cry in pain. While Weiss, and her horse were fast, the wraiths were jockeying with her to reach Ruby. Weiss tugged the reigns, and moved in an unpredictable manner, but no matter what she did, the wraiths did not lose her. Worse still, they were gaining.**

"I hope you're right about being a good rider," said Yang.

"I am! And my counterpart is an elf," said Weiss, "If she's immortal, she likely has more skill than me if she's lived longer."

 **One wraith got to her side, and reached to grab Ruby. However, Weiss said something in Elven, and her horse got a second wind. It rode faster and harder due to Weiss' encouragement, and it tore away from the black riders.**

"See? Now don't worry, my counterpart has the lead," said Weiss.

"That's a relief," said Ruby.

 **Weiss cut into thick mass of small trees. While horses did not ride well in forests, Weiss had an advantage. The steeds of the Nazgul were tall, strong, and burly, whereas Weiss' was more agile and nimble and her equestrian skills far outclassed the Nine's. She maneuvered unpredictably, and evaded her pursuers until at last she was the first to leave the trees.**

" **There it is, Ruby. Almost there," said Weiss**

 **There was a small river just ahead, and with the head start she got was able to reach it first. She had to move slowly in order to ford the river though. Though the water was shallow for a rider, there were many small stones, and it would be easy for a horse to slip and break a leg if she rushed. When she arrived at the other side of the embankment, she turned at the sound of hooves, and saw that her pursuers had arrived. However, their steeds halted before the water, as if in fear.**

"Are their horses afraid of the water?" asked Kali.

"That explains how Schnee was so confident that they'd be safe after crossing the river," said Ilia.

 **One rider approached ahead of the others.**

" _ **Give up the halfling, she-elf,"**_ **the rider hissed.**

 **Weiss drew her sword.**

" **If you want her, come and claim her!" challenged Weiss.**

"Woo-hoo, not bad Schnee, not bad," praised Coco.

"Taunting? Really?" said Weiss.

"Now, Weiss, there's no harm in relishing an advantage," said Winter.

"Oh, well, I suppose…" said Weiss.

 **The nine riders drew their swords, and the rider that spoke spurred his horse hard. The steed shakily stepped foot into the water, but after a moment, began to take steady trots into the river. This prompted the other horses to more easily accept their rider's command to move into the water to pursue, much to Weiss' apparent dismay.**

"So much for my idea of the horse's fears," said Kali.

"Maybe the riders aren't afraid of water, or the fact that they're entering elven lands, if Miss Schnee's reassurances to Mister Arc were any indicator," said Glynda.

"Or, perhaps they fear their mistress more than any small river," said Cinder.

"I'm sure you'd know all about that," jabbed Raven.

Cinder glared at Raven, and decided to put her on her list.

 **However, Weiss took a breath and began to chant. Words ancient and lyrical sang in the air, and the water began to rise. A low vibrating hum rumbled in the air, and the nine riders turned to see a massive torrent of water rushing down the river.**

"Weiss casted a spell?" asked Blake, a bit of excitement in her voice.

"I guess this is what she meant by the being safe when they crossed the river," said Tai.

"It's a trap!" cheered Nora manically.

 **The water magically took the shape of stampeding horses, and the riders turned to flee. However, the water trampled and washed them away, while avoiding Weiss and her horse. Once she knew the Nine would trouble her, or Ruby, no more, she turned her horse in the direction of home.**

" **Huuuhh…" gasped Ruby, who slumped onto the neck of Weiss' horse.**

" **No, Ruby!" cried out Weiss.**

RWBY, and everyone besides Raven and Cinder's group, gasped in shock.

 **Weiss immediately sheathed her sword, and got off the horse. She gently laid Ruby down to make her comfortable, but Ruby's labored breaths kept going.**

" **Ruby, no. Ruby, don't give in. Not now," urged Weiss worriedly.**

"After all that…" bit out Weiss.

"Hang in there!" urged Ruby.

 **Ruby's eyes were dull, and her breaths became shallower. Weiss pulled Ruby to her in an embrace and a soft glowing aura surrounded her.**

" **What grace is given to me, let it pass to her. Let her be spared…" whispered Weiss.**

"Please… let whatever Weiss did work," said Ruby.

 **A/N: One down, many more to go.**

 **I would have made the chase scene at the river scene at the end a little bit longer, but I can't write or understand one bit of Elven. Also, if the viewing content said "Jaune" in any of the sentences, It's supposed to be "Strider" until the next chapter. Let me know if I missed any.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Casting for this was difficult. I was originally going to have Ruby for Frodo, Penny for Sam, and Blake and Yang as Merry and Pippin. However, it would have affected my casting choices for Two Towers and Return of the King.**

 **Many people were on the nose that I was going to cast Jaune as Aragorn, but what if I told you my second choice for casting him was Sam. Both Sam and Jaune are loyal devoted friends, and even though there was a rough patch between Frodo and Sam when Gollum tricked Frodo, Sam came back to Frodo's side regardless. It's quite similar to the situation with Jaune, and Team RWBY in the episode that came out today. Even though JNR learned the truth about Salem, Jaune realized that he needs to see the journey through to the end and help his friends.**

 **The distribution of the rings to the dwarves and men occurs during the sacking of Eregion, the land of Celebrimbor. The Bright Lord DLC in _Shadow of Mordor_ occurs at the time of the conflict.**

…

 **Thanks for reading, and please review.**

 **Preview: Good Council**


	26. LOTR-FOR: Good Council

**To be clear: I am using the movies, extended and theatrical cuts, as the primary source. I will occasionally embellish with the books.**

 **Now that that's established, some people wondered why I picked Weiss over Winter as Arwen. While it was tempting to do, I picked Weiss because, if I recall correctly, Elrond has other children who are older than Arwen. That's why I picked her. As a result of some of these questions and surprises, I will now put reasons for castings at the bottom, with further reveals as the chapters progress.**

 **Also, after this chapter, things will get more Jaune-centric. The past two chapters, and this one is for the reactors to know what's going on without Archie having to go on paragraphs of explanations. Any non-Jaune scenes after this chapter will be updates on the ring's progress, or a key moment in the war.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 26 – Good Council**

 **Ruby, in a clean linen shirt and a silk bandage, stirred from her slumber in a soft silk bed.**

"Look, it looks like I made it!" said Ruby.

"Thank goodness," said Tai, Qrow, and Yang.

" **Where am I?" she asked, as light filled her eyes.**

" **You are in the House of Nicholas," said a sage-like voice, "And it is 10 o'clock in the morning, on October 24** **th** **, if you wish to know."**

Ozpin tilted his head.

'That voice…' he thought.

 **Ruby turned and saw an elderly man with wrinkles, a long grey beard, long white hair, and in a long grey robe as he smoked a pipe. Ruby saw she was in a room that was the very picture of pristine.**

" **Ozpin!" gasped Ruby in surprise.**

"Professor Ozpin?" asked Ruby.

"Wow, talk about old," said Yang.

"Now he shows?" bit out Tai.

"Please tell me there's a reason," sighed Ozpin, a little tired of the accusations of abandonment.

"You'll see," reassured Archie.

" **Yes, I'm here," said Ozpin in a comforting voice, "And you're lucky to be here too. A few more hours, and you would have been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit."**

 **Ruby tried to sit up but she felt a sharp pain in her shoulders, and had to recline on her pillows. She then turned to Ozpin with a pleading expression.**

" **What happened, Ozpin?" asked Ruby.**

 **Ozpin's face was laced with regret.**

" **Why didn't you meet us?" pressed Ruby.**

" **I am sorry, Ruby," said Ozpin sadly.**

 **Ruby tilted her head in confusion.**

" **I was delayed…" said Ozpin.**

…

"Delayed…? How?" asked Weiss.

 _ **Ozpin was slammed to the ground by an unseen force, a trail of blood leaking from his head.**_

Almost everyone winced.

"Well, that's a reason," said Raven, intrigued.

"Were the wizards attacked?" asked Blake.

"A pre-emptive strike is a sound military tactic…" pointed out Ironwood.

 _ **Ozpin was atop the Tower of Orthanc, in the old fortress of Isengard which had been gifted to the Istari, The Wizards, by one of the kings of Gondor. There, Ozpin was with a man clad in fine white robes with an ebony staff. He had long dark hair with streaks of grey, and a long dark beard. He was Arthur the White, Head of the Wizards, and his staff was pointed at Ozpin.**_

Cinder blinked in surprise.

"Arthur Watts…?" she ground out quietly.

"Do you know him, ma'am?" asked Emerald, quietly.

"He's an associate. One you weren't supposed to meet until we succeeded in our task," she responded.

Emerald, and Mercury quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing further.

 _ **"Why do you refuse?" asked Arthur, "With no king since the fall of Gil-Galad, Elves lack the numbers and strength to stand against Salem. And Men and Dwarves are too self-centered to form a united front. There is no hope against her. Our situation has changed, my friend. Can you not see that this is the logical choice?"**_

" _ **I will… not abandon our purpose… traitor," panted Ozpin.**_

"So, it was treachery," said Ozpin, who remembered Cinder's words.

"Watts…" ground out Ironwood.

"That guy's in charge of the wizards?" asked Qrow in surprise.

"Do you know him, Uncle Qrow?" asked Ruby

"Err… Yeah. He's a wanted criminal…" said Qrow, nervously.

Cinder, and Raven rolled their eyes.

'How dumb do you think she is? She's Summer's kid, for crying out loud,' thought Raven, as she noticed a mildly unconvinced expression on the young reaper's face.

 _ **Arthur flicked his staff, and again, Ozpin was slammed to the ground by magic.**_

" _ **My friendship is not easily cast aside," said Arthur Watts.**_

 _ **Arthur redirected his staff, which dragged Ozpin so that he hung over the edge of the tower. He heard the noise of orcs, digging, and forging, though he did not need to look down to see how Arthur had defaced the grounds. What was once the arboreal gardens of Isengard had been transformed into wretched orc pits filled with fire, suffering, and the breeding of wicked creatures.**_

" _ **One ill turn deserves another," said Arthur, "It is over. Embrace the power of The Ring, or embrace your own destruction."**_

 _ **Ozpin saw a moth fly by, and his eyes followed it before Arthur flicked his staff. Ozpin was flung face first to the top of the tower, but he pushed himself up.**_

"I wonder what that moth was?" asked Ren.

"It's just a bug," said Coco.

"Professor Ozpin paid a little too much attention to it from precarious position for it to be just a bug," said Pyrrha.

" _ **Only one can master the ring," began Ozpin as he looked defiantly up at Arthur, "Only one can bend it to their will."**_

 _ **The same moth flew across the light of the moon, followed by a massive eagle that silently glided.**_

"Whoa, that's one big bird," said Mercury.

" _ **And**_ **she** _ **does not share power."**_

Cinder clenched her teeth.

 _ **Arthur frowned in disgust, but before he could do anything, the piercing shriek of the eagle made him jump. Ozpin got up while Arthur was distracted cast himself from the top of the tower, and onto the back of the eagle before it flew north away from Isengard.**_

"A really big bird," corrected Emerald.

"So, Oz…" began Qrow quietly, "You think you can maybe modify your-"

"No, Qrow, I can't," said Ozpin.

Qrow grumbled, as did Raven at the other side of the room.

…

" **Ozpin?" asked Ruby.**

 **Ozpin snapped out of the daze of his memory, and looked at Ruby softly. Before anything could be said there was a shuffling of footsteps.**

" **Ruby!"**

 **Ruby turned to see a blur of blonde run into the room, and stop at her side.**

" **Yang!" said Ruby happily.**

" **Yang, and the others hardly left your side," chuckled Ozpin.**

" **We were all so worried about you. Weren't we, Mister Ozpin?" said Yang.**

 **Ozpin chuckled as he nodded before the door opened. He turned around, and smiled before he faced Ruby again.**

" **By the skills of Lord Nicholas, you are beginning to mend," said Ozpin.**

 **An elf in fine white silk robes approached from behind Ozpin, and toward the bed. He had a handsome face, long white hair, and ice blue eyes, and gave Ruby a kindly smile, and nod.**

" **Welcome to Rivendell, Ruby Rose," he greeted warmly.**

" **Thank you, sir…" said Ruby gratefully.**

"Wow… He looks the same as he did in that battle. He really is immortal," said Weiss.

"Indeed. Elves stop aging at a certain point," said Archie, "Your grandfather is several thousand years old in this universe."

"What about father, and mother?" asked Winter.

"Your father was not as cold or calculating in this universe, and he genuinely cared for your mother. When he was killed by orcs in a skirmish, your mother was beset with grief and went across the western seas to recover from the loss. At least according to what Weiss would tell Jaune in this universe," said Archie.

Weiss was suddenly reminded she and Jaune were an item in this universe. If that wasn't shocking enough, her mother and father actually cared about one another in this universe too? Both Schnee sisters could not help but envy their counterparts in this instance in regards to family.

"What did you mean by 'across the western seas?" asked Winter, "Is there something there that would help mother?"

"The Undying Lands of Aman. A paradise for the Elves gifted to them by the gods of this universe. Their heaven after death, as well a refuge from the evils that sought to corrupt them in distant ages past," said Archie.

"Wow," said Nora, "Ooh, what about humans and dwarves? Where do they go?"

"No one knows. Only the elves' paradise is know because of a conflict that prompted some elves to return to Middle Earth. In any case, let us continue," said Archie who resumed the viewing.

 **As soon as Ruby had something to eat, she was helped into her clothes, and she took a tour of Rivendell. Rivendell was a small settlement though it lacked the walls and numbers for it to be a proper town. It was built around Lord Nicholas' home: a manor with elements of a keep. There were guest houses, and armories, as well as a trade post all connected by bridges that had water from a nearby spring run beneath it. Towers with domes on the outer areas served as watchtowers, while those in the interior served as library spaces, or a means of looking out into the Valley of Imladris, the Elven name for Rivendell.**

"Wow, it's so pretty," said Velvet.

"Too pretty," said Emerald, "It can't be _that_ perfect. There's got to be something wrong with it somehow."

"Yeah. It's kind of boring," said Mercury.

"Maybe the elves simply figured out how to run a society," sniffed Weiss

" **Wow," gasped Ruby as she walked through one of the terraces, "Dad's stories did not do this place justice."**

" **I know, right?" said Yang.**

" **Ruby!"**

 **Ruby turned to see Sun and Neptune. They had the biggest smiles on their faces, and they jumped in excitement as they ran to see her.**

" **How are you feeling?" asked Sun.**

" **Are you sure you should be up?" asked Neptune.**

" **I am well, really I am, thank you…" said Ruby happily, but before she could say more, she noticed someone in the corner of her eye.**

 **Ruby saw a hobbit with white hair on a stone bench. But she saw the familiar pipe, and a familiar scribbling in a journal.**

" **Father? Father!" declared Ruby with a bright smile.**

Tai, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang perked up from their positions in the audience.

 **Tai Yang looked at Ruby, and got to his feet with a smile.**

" **Hello, my sweet girl!" he greeted, as the two embraced.**

 **Ruby looked at him, and saw that he seemed older than she last saw him.**

"Whoa, how old am I?" asked Tai.

"111 years old," said Archie.

"111?!" gasped Tai, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang.

"How old are Ruby, and Yang?" asked Qrow.

"They're in their 20s," said Archie.

"Then he would have been in his 90s when…" Raven gulped, "Assuming he wound up with Summer, and I, how did he pull that off?!"

Archie had amused smile that everyone could see.

"Did you forget the ring can lengthen one's life? Depending on the nature of the bearer, that includes one's… health, for a time. From my collaborations with your archivist, as well as Summer's, he was still quite attractive when the two of you met him. Not to mention his adventure, and struggle with a dragon made him seem all the more dashing to many women in the land of the hobbits. Heh-heh, according to my colleagues, it was quite the interesting harvest celebration," said Archie.

"You saw?!" gasped Raven.

"Ewww…" said Yang and Ruby.

"Of course not! They said it, not me!" protested Archie.

"Well, good to know I still got it," said Tai smugly.

As Qrow, Yang, and Ruby groaned, Raven looked ready to faint at the prospect of one of her counterparts sleeping with an old man. Even if it was Tai.

 **Tai Yang led Ruby to his room in Nicholas' manor, and he showed her a thick red book. When she opened the book, she smiled.**

" **There and Back Again. A Hobbit's Tale by Tai Yang Xiao Long," read Ruby proudly, before she went through the pages.**

 **In addition to the actual story of her father's journey, there were maps of Tai Yang's journey through the Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood. They also had drawings of swords from elven to dwarven swords, and goblin daggers. There was also an image of Smaug and the Lonely Mountain.**

" **This is wonderful," said Ruby.**

" **I meant to go back: wander the paths of Mirkwood, visit Laketown, see the Lonely Mountain again. But age it seems, has finally caught up with me."**

"So as soon as he left the ring behind, he aged properly again?" asked Kali.

Archie nodded

 **Ruby looked back at the book, and came across a page with a map of the Shire. A longing grew in her heart…**

" **I spent my childhood pretending I was somewhere else. Off with you on one of your adventures," she paused, "My own adventure turned out to be quite different."**

 **Tai looked saddened by Ruby's somber expression.**

" **I'm not like you, dad," said Ruby.**

 **Tai smiled softly, and put an arm around his daughter.**

" **My dear girl…"**

"You don't have to be, you know," said Tai seriously.

"Dad?" asked Ruby.

"I never told you this because it was your dream, but you didn't have to be a huntress. You could have been anything you wanted to be, or whatever made you comfortable," said Tai.

"I am, dad, I want to be a huntress," reassured Ruby.

"Then that's all I need to hear. I'd have felt bad if I pressured you," said Tai Yang.

 **After regaling Tai with a tale of her own journey to Rivendell, Ruby walked through the terraces of Rivendell, and saw Yang making a tally of supplies.**

" **Packed already?" asked Ruby.**

 **Yang got to her feet.**

" **No harm in being prepared," said Yang sheepishly.**

" **I thought you wanted to see the elves, Yang," said Ruby.**

" **I do," she said.**

" **More than anything," teased Ruby.**

" **I did, it's just… Well, we did what Ozpin wanted, didn't we?" said Yang, "We got the ring this far, and I figured now that your recovering, we could go back. Back home."**

 **Ruby thought on it, and turned to Yang.**

" **You're right, Yang. We did what we set out to do," said Ruby as she looked at the ring, "The ring will be safe here in Rivendell. I am ready to go home."**

"Will it be safe? That place looks nice, but it's hardly a fortress," said Coco.

"True…" said Winter, "While the valley itself might have some positions ideal for defense, there are no walls to delay a sieging army. It would be swarmed if an enemy broke through a defensive line."

 **From above, Nicholas and Ozpin looked at the two siblings walk through the terraces.**

" **Her strength returns," said Nicholas.**

" **That wound will never fully heal," sighed Ozpin, "She will carry it for the rest of her life."**

" **Yet to have come so far bearing the ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to its evil," mused Nicholas.**

 **Ozpin frowned behind Nicholas' back.**

" **It is a burden she should** _ **never**_ **have had to bear. We can ask no more of Ruby," said Ozpin.**

"Wait… was your grandpa making plans with Ruby?" asked Yang.

"Why would he do that?" asked Weiss.

"Well, Coco and your sister seem to think the ring won't be safe there, and if your grandpa's a hotshot commander in this universe, he probably does too," said Yang.

"Even if he does, I doubt he would force such a thing on Ruby. She's hardly the warrior she is in our universe," dismissed Weiss.

"I could be!" protested Ruby.

 **Nicholas poured himself some wine, and turned to Ozpin.**

" **Ozpin, the enemy is moving," declared Nicholas, "Salem's forces are massing in the east, her eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Arthur, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin."**

 **Nicholas took a drink, as Ozpin bore a thoughtful look.**

" **His treachery runs deeper than you know," said Ozpin, and waited for Nicholas to set down his wine, "Through foul craft, Arthur has crossed orcs with goblin men. He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can walk in sunlight, and travel great distance at speed. Arthur is coming for the ring."**

 **Nicholas had a look of horror on his face.**

" **This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the elves," said Nicholas, "We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor, and Isengard."**

 **Ozpin nodded, and walked away with his thoughts before he looked out unto Rivendell from the terrace.**

" **Ozpin. The ring cannot stay here," said Nicholas.**

"So, what do they do now?" asked Kali.

"Maybe they can just contain it somewhere," suggested Velvet.

"You mean seal it away, and hope no one finds it? That's foolish," said Winter.

Ironwood and Ozpin shifted.

"It is," said Raven with an evil smile, "Now that Salem knows where the ring is, she would just have to capture someone from their side and interrogate them enough to know where it's hidden."

Cinder chuckled at Raven's assessment.

Ruby saw the interaction between the two, and then noticed Ozpin's tightened face, and clenched hands. She also so Qrow's fingers get twitchy, and Miss Goodwitch and General Ironwood look about ready to attack.

"Weiss," whispered Ruby.

"What?" asked Weiss.

"I know these viewings can get to us, but don't you have this feeling that some of the grownups have been taking this one a little too seriously?"

"I noticed that too," whispered Blake, "It's subtle, but Ozpin's tense."

"Not to mention Raven, and _her_ ," whispered Yang, as she pointed a thumb toward Cinder, "In fact it started when she showed up, and Pyrrha mentioned the Fall Maiden."

"What are you whispering about?" asked Tai, innocently.

"Nothing, dad. Just… um… trying to figure out what they're going to do with the ring," said Ruby, who turned back to her teammates, "We'll talk about it later," she whispered.

The rest of Team RWBY nodded in agreement.

 **Ozpin had a look of understanding, and when he looked to the gates, he beheld a great gathering of people. Several caught his eye though.**

 **A woman with hair like fire, and eyes that sparkled like emeralds. She wore a silk red shirt with a brown and bronze gambeson coat and a black pair of trousers. At her back was a shield of wood with a bronze boss in the center, and the Horn of Gondor at her hip. She dismounted her horse, and walked through the haven with a noble bearing.**

"There's Pyrrha!" cheered Nora.

"Wow…" said Pyrrha, "I'm older here too."

"Judging from your duds, you look like a noblewoman in this universe," said Coco.

"Or maybe you're famous, and wealthy here too," said Ren.

"How fitting…" sighed Pyrrha.

 **There was an elf with hair like night, and yellow eyes. She wore a white long-sleeve shirt with form fitting black trousers, a black buttoned tunic over the shirt, and a dark mantle. She had a bow with a quiver, and two blades at her back, and moved with feline grace.**

"There's Blake!" said Kali.

"I'm an elf like Weiss?" asked Blake, "Huh, my outfit doesn't look as… regal as Weiss' attire was earlier."

"There are a variety of elven cultures," began Archie, "Weiss and her family are High Elves, whereas you and your family are elves of the Woodland Realm. As such, your attire would be more subdued."

"I guess that makes sense," said Blake.

"I guess this means we're elves in this universe," said Ghira, "Hmm… Do you suppose I have my beard? Some of the other elves I see are… pretty bare in this."

"It doesn't matter, dear," reassured Kali, "You'd be handsome regardless."

 **The last to catch Ozpin's eye was a dwarf. He had a black beard with decorative braids, thick clothes of white wool, a fine black leather vest that went down to his knees, heavy black leather boots and two steel pauldrons with geometric etchings and eyes like onyx.**

"Is that you, general?" asked Winter, surprised.

"I'm a dwarf?" gasped Ironwood.

"From The Lonely Mountain. The mightiest of Dwarven realms," said Archie.

"Look how short you are!" laughed Qrow, as he pointed his finger, "What's with the braiding on the face rug? You have gal pals do that for you?"

"You're one to talk," shot back Ironwood, "Your sister is a hobbit with hairy feet, so what does that make you?"

"Don't remind me," groaned Raven.

" **This peril belongs to all Middle Earth," began Nicholas, "They must decide now how to end it."**

 **Ozpin turned from the gathering to see Nicholas approach.**

" **The time of the elves is over, my people are leaving these shores," continued Nicholas, "Who will you look to when we've gone? The dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches, they care nothing for the troubles of others."**

 **Ozpin looked away in thought, before he faced Nicholas.**

" **It is in Men that we must place our hope," said Ozpin.**

" **Men?" Nicholas frowned, "Men are weak."**

"That's rather harsh," said Ghira.

"Yeah, I mean humans cut the ring off that Salem lady," said Sun.

"They also kept it," muttered Ilia.

"Oh yeah… said Sun.

 **Ozpin took on a confused expression before he followed Nicholas into a nearby library.**

" **The race of Men is failing," began Nicholas, "The blood of Numenor is all but spent, it's pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of Men the ring survived. I was there, Ozpin. I was there 3,000 years ago…"**

…

 _ **Nicholas got onto his feet after Salem exploded and rushed to Isildur's side. He looked down, and saw the man hold the ring in his hand.**_

" _ **Isildur, hurry!" said Nicholas, and the human looked at him, "Follow me."**_

 _ **The scene moved to a carved stone walkway that led to the magma pit of Mount Doom. The roar and the heat of the lava beneath them filled the large empty space of the cavern. On the walkway, Nicholas swung an arm over his head to urge a distracted Isildur closer to the edge.**_

" _ **Cast it into the fire!" Nicholas yelled.**_

 _ **If Isildur heard, he gave no sign. His eyes were simply entranced by the simple gold band, and fiery etchings that faded. Then Isildur heard the ring whisper, and he saw a vision of himself as the High King of Arnor and Gondor, and the lords all the old colonies of Numenor, the Men of Harad, the Men of Rhovannion, and east of the Sea of Rhun all paying him homage and tribute.**_

 _ **He would be king of a hegemony of Men: Numenor reborn!**_

"It tempted him…" said Glynda.

"It promised him all of that if he didn't destroy it…?" said Kali.

"What a moron," said Emerald, "If that thing has a will of its own, did he really think it would help him? He just killed his mistress."

Emerald knew she would never help anyone that hurt Cinder after all she had done for her.

"It's likely because he bested Salem that he thought he could command the ring. However, strength of arms is different from willpower," said Ozpin.

" _ **Destroy it!" urged Nicholas.**_

 _ **His voice finally caught Isildur's attention, but the prince gave Nicholas a look of disdain.**_

" _ **No," said Isildur, and he took the ring and moved toward the entrance of the cavern.**_

" _ **ISILDUR!" cried Nicholas, angry and betrayed.**_

…

 **Nicholas's face had an expression of heartbreak.**

"They must have been good friends for him to look that way," said Pyrrha.

"If he wanted it gone, he should have taken the ring, and tossed it himself," scoffed Cinder.

"And possibly trigger a war between Men and Elves? Well, that's a solution," said Glynda sarcastically.

"At least it would have been settled," said Cinder.

" **I was there the day the strength of Men failed. It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure," sighed Nicholas before he turned back to Ozpin, "Isildur kept the ring, and now the line of kings is broken. There's no strength left in the world of Men. They're scattered, divided, and leaderless."**

" **There is one who could unite them," declared Ozpin, but Nicholas frowned yet again, "One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."**

" **He turned from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile," said Nicholas.**

"Wait…" began Weiss, "What you said when I asked what this universe was. You said, 'The return of a king.' Did you mean…?"

Archie just smiled.

 **That night, in a small room with a statue and some murals, Strider sat in the corner reading a book. He was out of his usual gear for the wilds, and wore instead elven silks and a fine over coat and trousers. He looked up to the sound of footsteps, and saw a woman with fiery red hair, and emerald eyes enter.**

 **She looked at one of the murals: a man with a broken sword standing up to the Dark Dame in defiance.**

 **She suddenly turned and saw him, and she gave a perplexed expression.**

" **You are no elf?" she asked him.**

" **The Men of the south are welcome here," said Strider cordially.**

" **Who are you?" she asked.**

" **I am friend to Ozpin the Grey," said Strider with a smile.**

" **Then we are here on common purpose, friend," said the woman.**

"It's kind of like how we met. Only more subdued," said Pyrrha.

"That's one way of putting it. It's more cordial than what happened last semester," said Weiss, as her memory recalled a more active Jaune in the locker room with Pyrrha and herself.

 **The woman suddenly saw a shine from the corner of her eye. She turned to the statue: a figure with long hair with a stone pedestal in the shape of a tray in their hands. The pedestal was draped in silk, and the woman saw the moonlight reflect off of metal and approached. The metal was in fact several shards of a sword, along with a very famous jagged blade.**

" **The Shards of Crocea Mors…" she gasped excitedly before she picked up the sword and held it up, "The blade that cut the ring from Salem's hand."**

 **She ran her hand along the blade, but she immediately retracted it when it cut her.**

" **Still sharp…" she whispered.**

"To have remained sharp after three millennia, it must have been well maintained," said Tai.

"Indeed," said Ozpin, "Despite Nicholas' disappointment in Men, it appears he still cares enough to protect such a valuable artifact."

"It doesn't look all that impressive. I doubt it would sell well to a fence," said Emerald.

"Actually, it's dwarven craftsmanship from a famous smith. You could buy five castles with it," said Archie, "Fully staffed for six years, also."

Emerald's jaw dropped, as did everyone else's.

 **The red headed woman looked to Strider, who simply watched.**

"… **Nothing more than a broken heirloom," she said before she hastily put it back.**

 **However, the blade wasn't properly placed, and it fell to the ground.**

 **CLANG**

 **The woman looked at the blade regretfully, but quickly marched out of the room.**

Pyrrha gasped.

"That's disrespectful," pointed out Ren.

"Why'd she just leave?" asked Nora.

"Knowing myself, it was likely out of embarrassment," said Pyrrha sheepishly.

 **After a moment, Strider moved to the pedestal, and picked the blade up. He placed it reverently back in its proper place in the arrangement.**

" **Why do you fear the past?"**

"It's Weiss again," said Ruby.

Weiss became more attentive, as did Pyrrha and Winter.

 **Strider did not need to look behind him to know who it was, though he took a glance regardless. Weiss' hair was down and unadorned. She wore a simple white silk gown with a white robe, and a fine necklace of coiling crystal that framed a crystal star around her neck.**

"Wow, you really do fit the princess look," said Yang.

"Please don't call me that," groaned Weiss.

" **You are Isildur's Heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate," said Weiss.**

"I knew it!" declared Weiss.

"Your headmaster suggesting it was kind of a giveaway," said Emerald.

"Quiet, you," said Weiss.

"Make me, _princess_ ," smirked Emerald.

Weiss' teeth grinded.

"… **The same blood flows through my veins," answered Strider before he faced her, "The same weakness."**

 **Upon seeing the look of fear on Strider's face, Weiss approached.**

" **Your time will come. You will face the same evil, and you will defeat it," she reassured him, before she spoke Elven,** _ **"The Shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you… not over me."**_

 **Weiss took Strider by the hand, and led him out the room, and to one of the many bridges of Rivendell. Amidst the moonlight, and the running water beneath, she turned to face him, and she took his hands into hers.**

"Ooh… Looks like we get to see some actual romance," gushed Kali.

All the girls leaned in, with the exception of Glynda, Cinder, Raven, Emerald, and Ilia.

 **She rubbed the hands gently, and marveled at how cold they were. Then again, she did not feel cold herself for her people were blessed with immortality, and only knew of such things from their interactions with mortal Men.**

" _ **Do you remember when we first met?"**_ **Weiss asked as she looked up at him.**

 **Strider smiled a little.**

" _ **I thought that I had strayed into a dream,"**_ **he answered as he looked into her eyes.**

Weiss immediately turned red at the statement of an older, rugged Jaune, and her heart hammered as all the other girls, besides Pyrrha, Yang, and Velvet, cooed in delight.

"For real? Don't tell me girls actually buy into that sort of thing?" asked Mercury as he rolled his eyes.

"He's putting more effort into it than you do," scoffed Emerald.

"What? You interested all of a sudden?" teased Mercury.

"Between the two of you?" laughed Emerald, "Hands down I'd go for him. He at least knows how to talk to a lady."

Cinder let out a small laugh in agreement.

"Whatever," grumbled Mercury.

" _ **Long years have passed,"**_ **said Weiss,** _ **"You did not have the cares you carry now. Do remember what I told you?"**_

 **Strider's hand moved to touch the necklace Weiss wore.**

" **You said you'd bind yourself to me… Forsaking immortal life of your people," he answered back, as her eyes looked into his.**

" **And to that, I hold," said Weiss, which made Strider gulp, "I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone."**

"Whoa… Can she do that? Give up her immortality?" gasped Ruby.

"Yes," said Archie, "She is descended from an elf maiden who pleaded to their gods to allow her to die side by side with her beloved, a mortal Man. All of their descendants, including Nicholas Schnee have that same choice."

"She'd give up immortality for _him_?" gasped Cinder, and abhorred look on her face.

Weiss felt as though the world vanished around her.

'Do I – Does she love him that much…?' thought Weiss.

 **Weiss gently tugged the necklace off of her, and placed it in Strider's hand. He marveled at it, and he looked back to Weiss.**

" **I choose a mortal life," she whispered with conviction.**

Weiss shuddered, and her heart skipped a beat.

Pyrrha, Yang, Velvet, and Winter gasped.

" **You cannot give me this," said Strider.**

 **Weiss smiled at him.**

" **It is mine to give to whom I will," she answered as her hand made Strider's hand close around it, "Like my heart."**

 **The two stared into one another's eyes for a moment, before the two kissed.**

Weiss felt her heart aflutter…

'Wait, what…?' she thought, 'N-No, you're with Neptune, remember?'

"Oh, to be young again," swooned Kali.

While the adults all had their own musings of Kali's words, Ozpin was reminded of Salem, and how she couldn't let him go.

'Young indeed…' thought Ozpin sadly.

 **The next day, Ozpin, Ruby, and Strider sat at various positions in a circular arrangement around a stone pedestal with Nicholas at the head of the gathering.**

" **Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor," announced Nicholas as he stood before his guests, "Middle Earth stands at the brink of destruction, none can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to the fate, this one doom."**

 **As those gathered looked to one another in uncertainty, or suspicion, Nicholas turned to Ruby.**

" **Bring forth the ring, Ruby," he gestured.**

 **Ruby got up, stepped to the pedestal in the center of the gathering, and placed the ring upon it. Immediately whispers and gasps ended all silence.**

" **So it is true," gasped a red headed woman.**

 **Ruby sat back down, and she took note of the faces of the other races.**

 **The Elves looked at it with a mixture of fear and disgust.**

 **The Dwarves looked at the gold band with suspicion, and sneers.**

 **The Men, with the exception of Strider, looked at it with intrigue.**

"Hard to believe something so small can instill so much fear," said Winter.

"Some of the mightiest movements, and greatest empires have been forged by small things and acts. It only takes one small disruption to cause an avalanche, or a tiny spark to make a fire," said Ozpin.

 **The red headed woman got up, which got the attention of everyone present.**

Pyrrha looked to see her counterpart with interest.

" **A dream…" she began, "I saw the eastern sky grow dark, but in the west, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying 'The doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found."**

 **She stepped steadily to the ring, as though in a trance. Ruby though could hear a whisper from the Ring.**

Pyrrha paled at what she saw.

"The ring is trying to get to her too, just like Isildur," gasped Ren.

"Look away!" urged Nora, and Ruby.

 **Nicholas, and Ozpin shifted in their seats.**

" **Isildur's Bane…" she repeated.**

 **She reached for the ring.**

"NO!" shouted Pyrrha.

" **Lady Pyrrha!" called out Nicholas, but it was Ozpin who snapped the woman, Pyrrha, out of her trance.**

" _ **Ash Nazg Durbatuluk!"**_ **Ozpin roared.**

 **Through his magic, Ozpin amplified his voice to be as thunder, and he made the sky seem dark with each word spoken. Beneath Ozpin's voice though another voice echoed, far darker and far harsher that came from the ring itself.**

" _ **Ash Nazg Gimbatul!"**_ **Ozpin continued.**

 **The Elves present recoiled, the Men trembled, and the Dwarves were on edge.**

" _ **Ash Nazg Thrakatuluk!"**_

"What's he saying?" asked Glynda.

"The Black Speech of Mordor. More specifically, the Words of the Ring," said Archie.

 **Ruby though, felt a searing pain in her head, and Pyrrha was forced back into her chair by the voices that echoed.**

" _ **Agh Buzum-Ishi Krimpatul!"**_ **finished Ozpin.**

"Wow, that's some crazy magic," said Velvet.

"Remember that version of Remnant that had magic? You think that's what magic was like?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin resisted the urge to scoff.

'In the old days, that would have been considered a simple parlor trick,' Ozpin thought.

 **When Ozpin finished his recitation of the words of the Ring, the sky cleared and all was quiet. Nicholas though, did not bother to hide his anger.**

" **Never before has any voice uttered that tongue here in Imladris," rebuked Nicholas.**

" **I do not ask your pardon… Master Nicholas," gasped out Ozpin, "For the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West. The Ring is altogether evil."**

 **As Ozpin made for his chair, Pyrrha shook her head.**

" **No, no it is a gift," said Pyrrha, "A gift from the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring?"**

"Wait, what?" gasped Pyrrha.

"After all that, she still wants it?" asked Qrow.

"She's only human," shrugged Cinder, "Who wouldn't want more power?"

 **Everyone looked to, or stared at Pyrrha in disbelief as she stood up.**

" **Long has my lord, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people, all your lands are kept safe," declared Pyrrha.**

 **Strider looked at Pyrrha with disappointment, and shook his head.**

" **Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against her," argued Pyrrha.**

"Fight fire with fire? It makes sense," said Raven.

"Sure, you just have to ignore the whispering of some creepy ring while you're at it," said Tai sarcastically.

" **You cannot wield it," cut in Strider, "None of us can."**

 **Pyrrha, and those gathered turned to Strider.**

" **The One Ring answers to Salem alone. It has no other mistress," said Strider.**

" **And what would a ranger know of this matter," scoffed Pyrrha.**

 **Suddenly, one of the elves present, a lady garbed in black and white, stood up.**

" **This man is no mere ranger," she cut in, "He is Jaune, Son of Azure. You owe him your allegiance."**

"I know Jaune in this?" asked Blake in surprise.

"And his lineage it appears…" said Weiss.

"So, how does Blake know him?" asked Pyrrha… calmly.

"They're friends," said Archie.

"Friends…?" asked Blake and Weiss, the latter with a tone of suspicion.

"Well that's good. More encouragement for Blake to talk to Jaune more when we get back," shrugged Yang.

"Great…" said Weiss distantly.

"Weiss?" began Ruby.

"N-Nothing… Just, it's nothing," said Weiss.

 **Whispers, and looks of surprise arose from the Men gathered. However, most shocked and surprised was Pyrrha.**

" **Son of Azure… This is Isildur's heir?" she said to herself.**

" **And heir to the throne of Gondor," declared the elf.**

 **Ruby's eyes widened.**

" _ **That's enough, Blake,"**_ **said Jaune in Elven.**

 **Pyrrha looked to Jaune with disgust.**

" **Gondor has no king… Gondor needs no king," she scoffed before she took her seat.**

"Why did she seem angry?" asked Pyrrha, worried.

"The race of Men has bared the brunt of many of Salem's invasions and assaults. And with no king to unite and lead them, Men have suffered much," said Archie.

"They must have felt hopeless, and alone after so many centuries," said Glynda.

"Forget the king then. They should just do their own thing," shrugged Mercury, "If no one is gonna save you from Hell, save yourself."

Pyrrha scowled at Mercury, but he didn't care. He knew he was right, given his own life experience with his father.

 **There was an uncomfortable silence until Ozpin sat upright with his staff in hand.**

" **Jaune is right," said Ozpin, "We cannot use it."**

 **Nicholas stood up from his seat.**

" **You have only once choice," Nicholas began, "The ring must be destroyed."**

 **Pyrrha shook her head in disappointment, but a noise got everyone's attention.**

" **Then what are we waiting for?" said a dwarf with onyx eyes, and a black beard and black hair.**

Ironwood blinked.

 **The dwarf hopped of his chair, got an axe at the side of it, and raised it high. Before Nicholas could stop the dwarf, the short burly man swung the axe hard, but was knocked back on contact. Shards of the axe scattered to the floor and pedestal. Ruby though, for a brief moment, saw the burning eye, and she flinched.**

 **The ring just sat, unmoved and unscathed.**

"That was careless. What if a shard of the axe hit someone?" said Glynda.

"In my counterpart's defense, I'm not sure he expected that to happen," said Ironwood, "I didn't, and destroying the ring would have been one my first suggestions."

 **The dwarf was helped up by his fellows, and he looked in disbelief as the ring was unscathed.**

" **The ring cannot be destroyed, Ironwood of Erebor by any craft we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade," declared Nicholas to the disbelief of everyone present, "It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."**

 **There was an awkward silence once more as the weight of Nicholas' words took root.**

" **One does not simply walk into Mordor," began Pyrrha.**

 **All looked to her.**

" **It's black gates are guarded by more than just orcs," she continued, "There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great eye is ever watchful."**

 **Ruby gulped.**

" **It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, and ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with 10,000 men could you do this. It is folly," declared Pyrrha.**

" **Have you heard nothing Lord Nicholas has said?" cut off Blake as she got to her feet, "The Ring must be destroyed."**

" **Oh? And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" demanded Ironwood.**

 **Blake glared at the dwarf.**

" **And if we fail, what then?" demanded Pyrrha as she got to her feet, "What do we do when Salem takes back what is hers?"**

 **Ironwood ignored Pyrrha as he got his feet, and glared back at Blake.**

" **I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!" spat the dwarf.**

 **All the elves got up in outrage, which made all the dwarves stand up as well.**

" **Never trust an elf!" shot Ironwood.**

"Typical Atlesian," scoffed Ilia.

"Excuse me?" growled Ironwood, "How are you any different, throwing stones from your glass house."

"Excuse me?" shouted Ilia.

"I thought you said there was no racism in this world," said Ghira, before Ironwood and Ilia could escalate.

"I didn't say that. I said _Men_ get along with the other races 'for the most part.' Elves and dwarves are another matter entirely," said Archie.

"So, if that's the case. What made Nicholas Schnee think he could get them to work together?" asked Blake.

"The races have set differences aside when orcs gather in strength, and there have been instances when dwarves and elves make peace in this universe," said Archie, "Sadly, old arguments do not die so easily among the long-lived."

 **The lords of Men now joined Pyrrha, who levelled their own accusations against the elves and dwarves present. What was once a council to try and combat the Dark Dame was now a shouting match of who did what, and why the other side could not be trusted.**

 **Ozpin and Jaune watched on in disappointment, but through it all, Ruby heard the ring whisper.**

" **You do not understand!" Ozpin joined the fray, "Every moment you all bicker amongst yourselves, Salem's power grows. None will escape her! You'll all be destroyed…!"**

"Well, that'll calm people down for sure," said Emerald, as Mercury laughed at the irony.

"She always said he was arrogant. I guess I could add hypocritical to the list," Cinder chuckled to herself.

Ozpin frowned, but said nothing.

 **The shouting was drowned out of Ruby's ears, as she heard the ring whisper the same words Ozpin spoke earlier.**

" _ **Ash Nazg Durbatuluk… Ash Nazg Gimbatul… Ash Nazg Thrakatuluk… Agh Buzum-Ishi Krimpatul!"**_

 **As the shouting got louder, so did the whisper…**

"They're moving right into her hands, and they don't even know it," said Tai.

"Yeah…" sighed Qrow.

" _ **Ash Nazg Durbatuluk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Thrakatuluk! Agh Buzum-Ishi Krimpatul!"**_

 **Ruby could swear the golden ring glowed more brightly as the arguing grew more intense. Ruby closed her eyes, and she remembered what Ozpin told her were the words of The Ring.**

" _ **One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One ring to bring them all. And in the darkness, bind them…"**_

"Is that what those words mean?" asked Pyrrha.

"It makes sense," said Ren, "The more they argue, the more negativity they incite from one another, the easier it will be for the Dark Dame to control them," said Ren.

" **I will take it!" Ruby suddenly shouted.**

Everyone, Raven and Cinder included, was surprised by the sudden outburst of Ruby.

 **There was still yelling, but Lord Nicholas turned to her in surprise. Ruby then got to her feet, and approached the bickering crowd.**

" **I will take it!" Ruby declared.**

 **The arguing died down, as Ozpin closed his eyes, and bared a look of sadness. He turned to face Ruby, as the other members of the council looked at the little hobbit in shock.**

"She barely survived getting the ring to that place. What makes her think she can bring it there?" asked Emerald.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," answered Ruby.

" **I will take the ring to Mordor," said Ruby more calmly.**

 **Jaune and Ironwood looked to Ruby, impressed and moved by the halfling's courage for the task.**

" **Though… I do not know the way," said Ruby.**

"Jumping in headfirst into trouble, as always," chuckled Yang.

"Well they weren't doing anything, and someone needs to," said Ruby.

"… **I will help you bear this burden, Ruby Rose. So long as it is yours to bear," announced Ozpin, who clapped a gentle hand on Ruby's shoulder.**

"Well, if Ozpin's joining in then your chances went up quite a bit," said Coco.

"After what you went through, I would most certainly do my best to protect you," reassured Ozpin.

"Well, at least you have a chaperone," said Tai.

"Dad!" whined Ruby.

 **Jaune got up.**

" **If by my life or death I can protect you, I will," he declared before he made his way over and knelt to Ruby at eye level, "You have my sword."**

"Now Jaune's joining in!" said Pyrrha.

"A prince to the rescue…! He's a prince, right?" asked Nora.

"Technically. He is the last of the house," said Ren.

 **Ozpin looked to Nicholas, who nodded with a smile of approval as Jaune got to his feet.**

" **And you have my bow," announced Blake, who joined Jaune and Ozpin.**

"Yay! Blake's joining now!" cheered Ruby.

"Of course. Yang would kill me if I didn't keep an eye on you if I could," said Blake.

"Yep… Ooh, Maybe Weiss can join too? It'll be like Team RWBY!" mused Yang.

"Wouldn't that be something," chuckled Weiss.

" **And my axe," announced Ironwood.**

 **Blake tensed, but sighed in resignation. Ironwood didn't seem too thrilled working with the elf either, but he refused to the let the likes of her accuse his people of doing nothing.**

"Well, the journey just got more interesting," said Ironwood.

"That's an understatement," said Blake.

" **You carry the fates of us all, little one," began Pyrrha as she made her way over, "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."**

"And now I'm in this too," said Pyrrha.

"Ha, now it's going super easy," said Nora.

"Nora, please," blushed Pyrrha.

"A little bit of JNPR to help out," chuckled Ren.

" **HA!"**

 **Everyone whipped to the side as they say a blonde hobbit with long hair run to the small group.**

" **My sister's not going anywhere without me!" declared Yang.**

" **I had no idea it was impossible to separate you two, even when she's invited to a secret council, and you are not," said Nicholas.**

"Please," scoffed Yang, "Sorry Weiss, but not even your grandpa could keep me away from my sister."

"I never would have guessed," said Weiss mirthfully as she rolled her eyes.

" **OI! We're coming too!"**

 **Nicholas and the council, shocked and flabbergasted, turned the other way, and saw Neptune and Sun run to the small group that just formed.**

" **You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" declared Neptune as soon as he joined a smiling Ruby.**

" **Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing," said Sun.**

 **Ozpin looked uncertainly to Nicholas.**

"I sound so dumb," said Sun.

"Well, I think it's very brave of you," said Velvet as she patted him on the shoulder.

"Aw, thanks," said Sun.

" **Well that rules you out, Sun," said Neptune.**

 **Sun looked shocked and betrayed at his friend's words while Ruby and Yang tried hard not to laugh. Meanwhile, Nicholas had a bemused expression on his face.**

" **Nine companions… So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" Nicholas announced.**

" **Right!" said Sun, "…Where are we going?"**

"You sure bringing him is a good idea?" asked Coco.

"Seriously," agreed Ilia.

Sun's head fell in embarrassment.

 **A/N: Nora, and Ren aren't Gimli and Legolas? WHAT?! Again, reasons for casting choices are below.**

 **Boromir: For our favorite bean I picked Pyrrha, and before you rage at me, I didn't pick her just because of how Boromir died. Like Pyrrha, Boromir in the films is seen by his people as a savior of Gondor, one who is strong enough to hold the line against Mordor. This however, puts a lot of pressure on him, and I thought it would be a good for Pyrrha to witness.**

 **Legolas: For the one with pointy ears, I went with the one with pointy ears. I was initially going to pick Ren for this for the sake of his friendship with Jaune. However, on further thought, I wound up picking Blake. One of the acting coaches in The Hobbit movie described the elves as graceful, and catlike. Furthermore, it will fit in with Legolas' character development in the films and books: his friendship with Gimli, a dwarf. Also, I have other plans for Ren.**

 **Gimli: You thought it would be Nora, or possibly Port as a second choice. However, I cast the tin man, Ironwood, as Gimli. Both of them are stubborn individuals, with a "hit first, ask questions later" attitude. Gimli's major character development stems from his friendship with Legolas, an elf. Same as with Ren, I have plans for Nora later.**

 **Saruman: Arthur Watts. Of all of Salem's lieutenants he seems to be the least loyal, or at least, Arthur has said things that could get him in trouble with Salem. He likely sees Salem less as a leader, and more of a means for his own personal goals. Furthermore, since Arthur is more technically minded, it matches Saruman's interest in machines. Also, their personalities matched, which was why I cast Arthur Watts as Saruman.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **In regards to Legolas and Gimli's stand-ins, I figured it would be an interesting dynamic that parallels the blanket assumption two races at odds with one another have. Now I don't believe either Blake or Ironwood are prejudicial by default. That being said, Blake did lump Weiss in with humans that give faunus a hard time because of Weiss' views, which stem from the heiress' personal experiences. I can also imagine Ironwood would have some suspicions about Blake if he found out she used to be a White Fang member, though Ozpin would likely keep that part out if James did ask.**

 **For those who only saw the movie, the etchings on the ring were actually half of a poem that Tolkien wrote. It's a cool poem, and I wanted to sneak it all in somehow, but it would have just come out as unnecessary filler. The full poem reads:**

 _ **Three rings for the Elven kings under the sky,**_

 _ **Seven for the Dwarf lords in their halls of Stone,**_

 _ **Nine for mortal Men doomed to die,**_

 _ **One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,**_

 _ **In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.**_

 _ **One Ring to rule them all,**_

 _ **One Ring to find them,**_

 _ **One Ring to bring them all,**_

 _ **And in the darkness bind them.**_

 _ **In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.**_

 **As I mentioned in the last chapter, I am playing with bloodlines and character relations for a bit as I write this. Tai's age when he got together with Summer and Raven is going to be one of the more extreme cases where I deviate from Tolkien's work. Putting RWBY characters in a universe that the author spent years of world building is jarring enough, and I'm trying not to push things too much.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: The Mountain and the Mine**


	27. LOTR-FOR: The Mountain and the Mine

**Hmm… I wasn't surprised by some of the reactions to the casting, but I do have a plan for the characters chosen. Someone thought that the characters were a little jarring considering the personalities, and outlooks, of the** _ **RWBY**_ **cast. I thought so when writing it as well, but the reason I kept the dialogue, and behaviors as it was because of the setting: a fantasy set in a Medieval period.**

 **The one review that impressed me though was a Guest Reviewer. The reviewer went into detail on the events of the** _ **Silmarillion,**_ **in regards to how magic works in Middle Earth as well as why the Noldor elves from Aman returned to Middle Earth. As I am still reading the Silmarillion, this review prompted me to look up how magic was used by Tolkien, and I found a video by Men of the West on YouTube that was very helpful.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 27 – The Mountain and the Mine**

 **It had two days been since the Council of Nicholas, and the fellowship stood in attendance, ready to the leave. Jaune had worked with Yang to get the pack pony from Bree all set with the supplies they would need for the journey.**

"Huh? They still had that pony?" asked Yang.

"Yeah… It kind of vanished after they left the town where they met Jaune," said Pyrrha.

"Maybe it's a magic horse that comes and goes?" suggested Ruby.

"A land with magical horses? That sounds dumb," said Emerald.

"True…" agreed Weiss.

Archie coughed discreetly, thoughts of a universe where they were all magical horses on his mind.

 **The two were doing a last minute check when Ruby arrived with a bundle under her arm, and a new addition to her look.**

" **Is that father's sword?" gasped Yang.**

" **Yes, Sting," said Ruby as she displayed the weapon on her hip proudly.**

"I have a sword…?" mused Tai, "What's with the name though?"

"Yeah, it's kind of lame," said Ruby.

"It looks beautiful though," said Blake.

 **Jaune looked at the sword, though it would have been a short blade for one such as him. It was definitely of an older make from modern Elvish blades, but he could tell it was a fine piece based on its appearance.**

" **He gave you the sword he stung the spiders of Mirkwood with? He didn't give me anything…" mumbled Yang.**

"Aww… Is daddy not giving you enough love?" taunted Mercury.

"Keep digging, peg-leg. You're going to need a really deep hole to hide from me," said Yang.

"Pfft… Whatever," scoffed Mercury.

" **Yang, father doesn't give you anything because you insisted for years you're self-sufficient, and I quote, 'Are a big girl who doesn't need to be looked after anymore."**

"… **I am. It still would have been nice, though," said Yang.**

" **He knows," said Ruby who tossed her sister the bundle under her arm.**

 **Yang caught it, opened it, and gasped as she held up a coat of blue with fur.**

"Ooh, nice coat," said Nora.

"It is…" agreed Yang with a glint in her eyes, "Even though fur's not really my style, I could go for it."

"I can draft a commission for one if you like," offered Coco.

"Really?" asked Yang.

"Sure. I know a fashion designer in West Vale," said Coco.

"She's really good," chimed in Velvet.

"Sweet," said Yang.

" **Father's coat from Lake Town…?"**

" **Father remembered how you would always look at it. He asked one of Lord Nicholas' maids to tailor it for you," said Ruby, "Father said that it'll be cold over the mountains, and there are bound to be wet places too. It's yours now."**

 **Jaune saw Yang take off her traveling cloak to try it on.**

" **How do I look?" she asked nervously.**

" **Looking good, Yang," said Neptune.**

" **It suits you," added Sun.**

 **Jaune saw Yang puff up, and strutted more confidently. Jaune rolled his eyes, and was about to get them to focus again.**

" **Don't…" Ozpin said as he held up a hand to stop him, "Let them enjoy it while they can. I suspect the road will be harsher as time goes on. They should know it is okay for them to be merry, for it will allow them lift their spirits in dark days."**

"Good advice. You would be surprised how much laughter can keep spirits up," said Ozpin.

"That's true. I've been through some hairy missions. I remember this one guy who always had a thing to say about everything, and could get a smile out of anyone," said Ironwood.

"Would it also not distract from the mission?" asked Penny.

"It's about keeping morale up, Penny," said Winter.

"Oh, I see," realized Penny.

 **Jaune nodded in ascent, though he did move forward for a bit.**

" **May I see that sword?" asked Jaune.**

 **The hobbits looked up, and Ruby stood a little taller.**

" **Our father found it in a troll hoard," said Ruby.**

 **Ruby undid the scabbard and presented the blade to the ranger-prince. Jaune took it reverently and drew it out. For the human, the blade would have been a long dagger, though it was a good sword length for the hobbit.**

" **It's supposed to glow blue when orcs are nearby," said Ruby.**

"Wow! That's so cool! Not Crescent Rose cool, but a magical sensing ability sounds awesome," cheered Ruby.

"I wonder how it operates," mused Penny, "There must some form of… detection system for it to work."

"I do not know. It was forged by the elves, and though Jaune was fostered and tutored by Lord Nicholas in this universe, he does not know all their secrets," said Archie.

"That's a shame. If we could implement it for the grimm, huntsmen and huntresses could have an early warning against threats," said Ozpin.

"So… Jaune was raised by my grandfather?" asked Weiss.

"He fostered many descendants and relatives of Isildur," said Archie.

" **Perfect," laughed Ironwood, "We will have hunts announced to us!"**

" **Or, fair warning to be discreet," corrected Blake.**

 **The two gave each other heated glares, but Ozpin stepped forward to keep them in line. Jaune stepped back, and gave the blade some experimental swings before he sheathed it.**

"I still have no idea how that dwarf is in any way like you," said Qrow.

"…That's because you didn't meet me before my accident," sighed Ironwood.

"Wait, what?" asked Qrow.

"It took me a while to see, but what he said just now jogged my memory," began Ironwood, "I used to be cocky, arrogant, spoiling for a fight, especially when I first joined the Specialists

Ironwood gripped his metal arm as he remembered the mission from all those years ago.

"Not anymore…" sighed Ironwood, "I learned to be more thoughtful, and strategic."

"Huh… You learn something new every day," mumbled Qrow.

Glynda put a hand on Ironwood's shoulder.

" **A fine blade…" Jaune said as he presented the sword to Ruby, "Keep it close."**

 **Pyrrha cleared her throat as Ruby took back her sword.**

" **Lord Nicholas is here," said Pyrrha off to the side.**

 **Any talk among the company ended when the Lord Nicholas, his household, and all the Elves of the settlement arrived. The company stood in attention, as Nicholas gave them all an appraising look.**

" **The ring bearer is setting out on a quest for Mount Doom," began Nicholas, "And you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will."**

 **The company looked to Lord Nicholas, though Jaune, wearing Weiss' necklace, sneaked a glance at his love.**

Weiss tensed a little. She knew these universes were different. She knew there would be a universe where they were together, but it was still strange to think she had a relationship with Jaune.

" **Farewell then. Hold to your purpose, and may the blessing of Elves, and Men, and all free folk go with you," said Nicholas.**

 **The fellowship gave polite bows in response before Ozpin cleared his throat.**

" **The fellowship awaits the ring bearer," he said.**

 **Ruby took a deep breath, and turned around toward the gate. As she walked through it, there was a fork in the road. Ruby turned left, and everyone followed. Jaune, however, stopped and turned around. He saw Weiss stare back at him. Jaune gave her a bow, before her followed after the others.**

 **As soon as he left, Weiss' eyes closed as she put her hands over her heart.**

"You think they'll see each other again? It seems like a dangerous journey," said Velvet.

"Knowing Jaune, he'll find some way to come back," scoffed Weiss.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Coco.

"Personal experience…" smiled Weiss.

Weiss then frowned.

'Wait, why am I smirking? I'm already in a relationship! This is just another universe…!' she reminded herself.

 **It had been many days, or so, when the fellowship sat around at a hill in the region of what was once the Elven Kingdom of Eregion. There everyone was resting save for Pyrrha, who was practicing with Sun and Neptune.**

" **A woman warrior… Who would have thought that the Battle of Five Armies would affect all the kingdoms of Men," said Ironwood as watched Pyrrha spar with the two hobbits.**

" **She's quite skilled," Jaune nodded, impressed with her form, "The Dale-folk have set quite the precedent, though Rohan is still very traditional. Gondor allows it, though only in support roles such as couriers and nurses. I understand she was from a family with no sons, so she was allowed to practice. She was only noticed when she picked up a sword defending the wounded from orcs."**

"What, only boys can fight?" asked Coco.

Everyone frowned a little.

"Elven women can fight, if Weiss was any indication, why can't human women?" asked Pyrrha, who turned to Archie.

"Given the brutality of the orcs, as well as the peoples of Men under Salem's sway, the race of Men are very protective of their loved ones. There are enough stories of what orcs do to their prisoners that Men have taken such precautions. The change only started to change after a desperate battle that Tai Yang was involved in, where women joined battle to improve the chances of their husbands and sons coming home," explained Archie.

Everyone that cared enough to pay attention, nodded.

" **I'm sure she'll set them straight, soon enough," chuckled Ironwood.**

 **Jaune smiled at that before he sat at the side, and pulled out his smoking pipe.**

" **One, two, three, four, five! Good, very good," praised Pyrrha.**

 **She then turned to Sun, and began another set of five. She moved slowly enough for Sun to see, but fast enough to get Sun to move.**

" **Move your feet," said Jaune.**

 **Sun picked up the pace with his footwork, and found that it took some of the pressure off of him as he blocked.**

" **Looking good, Sun," said Neptune once the set was finished.**

" **Thanks," said Sun.**

" **Faster," said Pyrrha who then started another set with Neptune.**

" **If anyone asked my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way around," said Ironwood.**

 **The dwarf was loud enough that Jaune could hear, and he gave a glance over his shoulder.**

" **Ozpin, we could pass through the mines of Moria," suggested Ironwood, and Jaune saw Ozpin still, "My liege lord, Balin, would give us a royal welcome."**

" **No, Ironwood, I would not take the road to Moria unless I had no other choice," said Ozpin calmly.**

"What's wrong with the mines?" asked Ruby.

"Sounds like someone knows something…" threw out Raven.

"Will he tell, I wonder," mused Cinder.

Ozpin took a breath to remain calm, and though Ironwood did not give any outward expressions, earlier suspicions about Ozpin's secretive nature reemerged in his mind.

 **Jaune frowned at the tone Ozpin took. Before he could say anything though, he saw Blake move to where Ozpin and Ironwood were. She seemed to see something-**

" **Ah!" yelped Sun.**

 **Jaune quickly turned back to the three members of the fellowship that was sparring, and saw Sun clench his hand.**

" **Ah, I'm sorry!" apologized Pyrrha as she dropped her sword, and moved to check on him.**

 **Sun immediately kicked Pyrrha in the shin, which caught her off guard.**

"Were you faking?" asked Pyrrha.

"Uh… Maybe?" asked Sun.

"Definitely. At the dance, Sun and Neptune were telling stories of some of their… adventures back at Haven. They got you good here," said Blake.

 **As she clenched her shin, Neptune playfully whacked a nearby stick against her other leg, which brought Pyrrha to her knees.**

" **Get her!" laughed Sun.**

 **He and Neptune grabbed both of her shoulders, and took her down.**

" **For the Shire!" cried out Neptune as the duo stood over their fallen foe.**

"Pyrrha Nikos, beaten by stick," said Yang.

Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh a little. The scary thing was that what Sun and Neptune did would have probably beaten her in the ring. Her trainers always said she could be too nice sometimes.

 **Pyrrha and Jaune laughed at their antics before the latter decided to get up, and break up the trio.**

" **Alright, gentlemen, that's enough," said Jaune as he moved over and grabbed the two hobbits by their waistcoats.**

 **However, before he could lift them, Sun and Neptune turned and grabbed Jaune by his ankles, and pulled. Jaune wound up on his back, and he groaned in discomfort. Pyrrha applauded at the two hobbits' feat, and Jaune started to chuckle.**

Jaune and Ruby's team laughed at the sight.

"That's got to hurt," said Ren.

"It's all in good fun," brushed off Nora.

"Totally," said Sun.

" **What's that?" Yang asked suddenly.**

 **Jaune tilted his head to her from the ground.**

" **Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud," dismissed Ironwood.**

 **Jaune propped himself onto his elbows, and looked in the direction Yang pointed at. He saw a dark cloud in distance get bigger and bigger with each moment. A sense of unease filled Jaune as he got to his feet.**

" **It's moving fast… against the wind," said Pyrrha.**

 **Jaune squinted a little, and saw the cloud was not a cloud. Rather it was a flock of black birds.**

"A flock of crows?" asked Penny.

" _Murder_ of crows," corrected Qrow and Raven both.

" **Crebain from Dunland!" warned Blake.**

" **Hide!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Jaune went for his gear as Pyrrha got Sun and Neptune.**

" **Yang, Ruby, grab your gear and take cover!" warned Jaune.**

 **Yang and Ruby got their feet, and like the others, they got their gear, and made for the bushes, and cracks in the rocks. The last to take cover was Yang, who had to put out the campfire, and kick it apart. Not five seconds after Jaune saw the blonde hobbit hide in a bush, the sky suddenly darkened and the cawing of crows filled the air. The birds hovered about as they swept through the hilltop before they flew back in the direction they came from. As soon as they were off into the distance, everyone got out.**

"Why hide from the crows?" asked Mercury.

" **Spies of Arthur the White," said Ozpin, "The passage south is being watched."**

"Birds as spies?" questioned Emerald.

"The come from a territory under Arthur's control. With his magic, he persuaded the birds to serve as his spies," said Archie.

"That's dumb. They've got tiny brains to start," scoffed Emerald.

Qrow, and Raven both resisted the urge to test the durability of the trio's ethereal prison.

" **We must take the Pass of Caradhras!" announced Ozpin.**

 **Jaune looked at a mountain peak in the distance that Ozpin pointed toward, and then to Ruby and the other hobbits, who gulped nervously at the sight.**

"That doesn't look like a safe passage for them," said Tai.

"The mines are looking very appealing right now," agreed Ozpin.

 **Jaune moved to Ozpin.**

" **Ozpin, are you sure that is wise? I am not sure the hobbits are ready for the likes of that mountain," whispered Jaune.**

"Even if they bundled up, they don't look like climbers. The altitude sickness would be killer," added Ghira.

"Why risk such a dangerous road?" questioned Kali.

" **If Arthur can bind the crows to do his bidding, we will be watched if we head south," said Ozpin.**

" **Then why not take Ironwood up on his offer?" suggested Jaune, "You travelled with Balin when you were a part of Thorin Oakenshield's company. You know each other, and with Ironwood's help as well, we can get supplies in addition to safe passage."**

" **No, Jaune, we cannot take the road through Moria unless it is the last possible option," insisted Ozpin.**

 **Jaune gave the wizard a puzzled look.**

" **Trust me, Jaune," reassured Ozpin.**

"Difficult to trust, when there's no explanation or reason added to the warning," said Raven.

Ozpin wanted to shoot a glance at Raven, but he heard Ironwood make a noise as well.

"Hate to say it, but… Never mind," said Ironwood, as he remembered his bypass of Ozpin in getting involved with festival security.

 **The scene moved to a mountain pass hit hard with a blizzard. As a blizzard hammered the fellowship in the mountain, Ozpin used his staff to cut through the snow, easily four feet deep. Jaune held onto Ruby and Yang, while Pyrrha held Sun and Neptune to keep them out of the snow. They trudged through a precarious trail with a sheer drop on one end, and the mountain itself on the other.**

"Definitely a bad decision," said Ghira.

"Why is your counterpart willing to risk such a road, sir?" asked Glynda.

"I wish I knew. I am unfamiliar with this world as much as anyone else here," replied Ozpin.

 **It was a hard trek through the mountain, but Blake had little trouble. As an elf, she was blessed with special protections that allowed her to resist the storm to a certain degree. She walked effortlessly over the snow, and ahead. She squinted and looked about.**

" **Blake, what is it?" asked Jaune as he shivered.**

"… **There is a voice in the storm," said Blake.**

 **Jaune closed his eyes, and listened carefully. Sure enough, Blake was right, and he could hear a deep voice in Elven.**

" **It's Arthur!" shouted Ozpin over the storm.**

 **Suddenly, the wind picked up, and a noise roared from above. The fellowship looked up, and saw boulders fall upon them. Immediately, the group ran to the side of the mountain, a small alcove allowed them to avoid the falling earth.**

"They need to turn back now," said Winter, "That road is far too treacherous."

"Yes, better they be extra careful going through their original route, than taking such an unnecessary risk," agreed Kali.

" **He's trying to bring down the mountain!" shouted Jaune over the roar of the blizzard, "Ozpin, we must turn back!"**

" **No…" responded Ozpin.**

"Why are you doing this…?" Ozpin questioned as he stared dumbfounded at his counterpart's insistence.

 **The wizard left the safety of the alcove, and thrusted his staff forth into the storm.**

" _ **Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!"**_ **commanded Ozpin as he tried to drown Arthur's hostile words.**

 **Jaune watched in awe as Ozpin voice was amplified, and he witnessed a duel of words and willpower between two powerful wizards. For a moment, the wind lessened, Ozpin's words easing the fury of the storm.**

"Why not counter the spell with one of his own?" asked Ozpin, "Why is he trying to talk to the mountain, of all things?"

"Because that's now how magic works in this universe," said Archie, "Magic, as it is known in this universe, comes from the divine entities, but manifests in more subtle ways. The storm itself is a kind of magic from the mountain and wind."

"But, then what about wizards? How do they use magic?" asked Ilia, a little confused.

"Wizards, and elves, are in tune with the magic of the world, but they cannot force the world to bend to their will. Not with corrupting themselves, anyway. 'Magic' is more akin to a form of cooperation. For instance, the rivers answering to Weiss' chant when she asked for the protection from the wraiths is an example of the former. An example of the magic used to subjugate would be Salem's design of the rings she had the elves forge for her."

Everyone nodded along, though it ironically Ozpin who had to wrap his head around it the most.

 **Suddenly, Ozpin's words were drowned as a booming deep voice shouted over him from the storm. A bolt of lightning flashed and struck the mountain above, and an avalanche tumbled down the mountain. Again, they went into the safety of the alcove, but were buried in the snow.**

"Are they dead?" asked Mercury.

"Obviously not. Have you seen the size of the volume we're watching?" asked Cinder.

 **The first one out was Ozpin, who shivered. After him was Blake, Jaune and Pyrrha with their respective hobbits, minus Yang who dug herself out. Ironwood burst out with an irritated shiver, and Pyrhha shook snow out of her hair.**

" **We must get off the mountain, and make for the Gap of Rohan! Then take the road to my city!" declared Pyrrha.**

" **The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" objected Jaune.**

" **If we cannot climb over the mountain, let us go under it," began Ironwood, "Let us go through the Mines of Moria."**

 **Jaune looked to Ozpin, who had an uncertain expression on his face.**

"… **Let the ring bearer decide," said Ozpin.**

 **Ruby looked to Ozpin.**

" **We cannot stay here," said Pyrrha, "This will be the death of the hobbits!"**

 **Jaune looked to Sun and Neptune, and saw that their faces were blue.**

" **Ruby…?" asked Ozpin.**

 **Ruby looked to Sun and Neptune, faced Ozpin.**

" **We will go through the mines," said Ruby.**

 **Jaune looked to Ozpin, and was confused by the wizard's troubled and resigned expression.**

"… **So be it," said Ozpin.**

"After all that, they have to go to where he hoped to avoid," said Ozpin.

"Well, it's only fair," said Tai, "Ruby is responsible for the ring after all. She should play a part in which direction they go."

"Leave the navigation to the girls, you mean?" asked Glynda.

"Summer always seemed to think so," chuckled Tai.

Qrow and Raven snorted in amusement.

 **They had gotten off the mountain, and now moved along a road until the company saw a ruined aqueduct with dwarven carvings in the stone.**

" **The walls of Moria!" declared Ironwood.**

 **The mountain stood before them with a large river running across it, as though it were a moat.**

"It looks like an ordinary mountain," said Pyrrha.

"I guess to a race that lives in the mountain, there's no finer fortress," said Ironwood, "I'm curious to see what it's like inside. They're technically my people here, after all."

"Ooh, maybe walls lined with gold, jewels, and silver," giggled Nora.

"Now they're talking my language," muttered Emerald, a little excited as well.

 **It was nightfall when they found a place to cross the river, and after they crossed, Jaune was at the rear of the fellowship. They walked the narrow strip of land between the mountain and the river while Ironwood tapped the mountain with his axe.**

" **Dwarf walls are invisible when closed," Jaune heard Ironwood boast as the dwarf tapped the mountain with his axe.**

" **Yes, Ironwood," confirmed Ozpin, "Even their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."**

" **Why doesn't that surprise me?" asked Blake.**

 **Jaune heard Ironwood growl.**

" **Blake…" warned Jaune.**

" **Don't bother, lad" said Ironwood, "She's a woodland sprite. It's only natural she has a stick up her-"**

" **That hardly helps matters," interrupted Jaune, "Save the insults for after we destroy the ring."**

"So… out of curiosity… why do the dwarves and elves fight?" asked Blake, "I mean history tells why humans and faunus fight, but why do they fight."

"Long story short, there was a conflict over a valuable gem that both the elves and dwarves coveted, and worked on. When it came to the matter of who got the gem, the dwarves argued their craftsmanship entitled them to it, but the elves argued the gem first came from their people, thus it was theirs alone. The dwarves felt cheated, and retaliated by sacking the Elven kingdom that got the gem. The elves, led by Weiss' ancestor in this universe as well as her human lover, then retaliated by killing all the dwarves that attacked the kingdom," said Archie.

"…Oh," said Blake.

"…That's terrible," said Weiss.

"Both elves and dwarves are long-lived, and the history has never truly died," said Archie, "Though, I should say that the dwarves distinguish between High Elves, like Weiss and Nicholas, and the Sindar elves, like Blake. It is with the Sindar that the dwarves' axe is typically pointed to."

"Well, at least it's not based solely on race, like our problems back home," sighed Ironwood.

"That doesn't make it better," said Blake.

"No, it does not. But dealing with a reconcilable difference is far easier than dealing with a difference no one has control over," said Ironwood.

"Quite true. Forgiveness, from both sides, can be sought more easily in this way," said Ghira.

"…I suppose so," said Blake.

"…True," admitted Ilia.

 **There was no more talking until Ozpin arrived at a part of the mountain that had two trees by the shore of the river. Jaune saw Ozpin run a hand on the stone, and as he did, Jaune noticed the trees seemed to act as a frame.**

" **Now, let's see… Ithildin," Jaune heard Ozpin say to himself, "It mirrors only starlight, and the moonlight."**

 **Ozpin turned to look up at the sky, and Jaune looked up as well. The clouds broke, and the rays of the moon fell upon them. When the light touched the stone, the wall glowed lightly as etchings of pure silver light appeared upon the stone. Two etched trees that mirrored the trees outside the mountain framed an etching of an archway. The upper area of the arches had an elven inscription while the middle had three images. At the top was a crown with seven stars above it. Beneath that was the hammer and anvil, and under that was a bright star with many rays.**

" **Wow…" Ruby said.**

"Cool door," said Sun.

"Gate,' considering how short my counterpart is," said Ironwood.

"I take it that is another subtle form of magic?" asked Ozpin.

"Yes," said Archie.

" **I wonder what those images are," said Yang.**

" **The crown is the emblem of our patriarch, Durin I," said Ironwood solemnly.**

" **Dad did say that dwarves were some of the best smiths out there, so the hammer and anvil is self-explanatory," commented Yang.**

" **What about that star?" asked Neptune.**

" **That is the emblem of the House of Feanor. He was once the leader of the High Elves, and the greatest of all Elven smiths and craftsmen," said Blake soberly.**

"High elf…" thought Ghira, "If that kind of symbol is on a Dwarven door, I guess the High Elves got along with the Dwarves than the… _Sin-dar_?"

Archie nodded, and Ghira was just happy he didn't seem to butcher the name.

"Quite. Both Dwarves and High Elves have a shared love of crafting, and a shared hatred of Orcs. They got along quite well, according to historical records," said Archie.

" **He must have been something," said Sun excitedly.**

 **Blake's mouth formed a thin line out of discomfort.**

" **Something wrong?" asked Sun.**

" **He was great…" began Jaune, who recalled his history, "But also equally terrible. The elves do not speak of him, if they can help it."**

" **Oh… I'm sorry" said Sun embarrassed.**

"He must have been really bad," said Ruby.

"Lord Nicholas was fostered by one of Feanor's sons, actually," said Archie.

"I guess it's another thing Jaune learned from my family in this universe?" asked Weiss.

"Yes," answered Archie.

"Were the close?" asked Blake.

"Not at first. After all, killing your foster's original parents doesn't exactly set a good first impression," said Archie.

"What?!" gasped Weiss, and her team.

"Nicholas was taken in out of a sense of guilt for his actions. In time, Nicholas and his twin brother grew quite close," said Archie.

"Twin brother…?" gasped Winter, "Grandfather didn't have a brother."

"In this universe he does," smiled Archie, "An interesting… man, to say the least."

 **Ozpin, cleared his throat, and Jaune and the others returned their attention to the wizard.**

" **Ahem… It reads: 'The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter," read Ozpin aloud.**

" **What do you suppose that means?" asked Neptune.**

" **Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you say the password, and the doors will open," said Ozpin.**

 **Ozpin pressed his staff to the door, and said a sentence in Elvish.**

…

 **Nothing happened.**

…

 **Ozpin raised both his hands, as though to profess, and he tried again.**

…

" **Nothing's happening," said Sun to Pyrrha.**

"Obviously," said Cinder, "Maybe his elderly brain forgot the password."

"Or he doesn't know it," suggested Mercury.

"Maybe that's why he didn't want to go to the mines," said Emerald, "It's kind of embarrassing."

"…Quite," sighed Ozpin reluctantly in agreement.

 **Jaune saw Ozpin shoot the hobbit a hard stare, before he tried to budge the door himself, to no avail.**

" **I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs," said Ozpin as he tried to figure out the password.**

" **What are you going to do, then?" asked Sun.**

" **Knock you head against these doors, Sun Wukong! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a bit of peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words," sighed Ozpin tiredly.**

Blake snorted a little.

"What?" asked Sun.

"Nothing, Sun," said Blake.

"She thinks you're hard-headed," clarified Ghira.

"Dad!" yelped Blake.

"Oh… I get it! Ha-ha, yeah my team thinks the same sometimes," laughed Sun.

"That's not a compliment…" grumbled Ilia under her breath.

 **As Ozpin turned from Sun, and tried another, Jaune turned to Yang.**

" **Come, Yang, we need to release Bill," said Jaune as he gestured to their pack pony.**

"Oh, there's the horse again," said Coco.

"Seriously, it keeps vanishing," said Velvet.

"Well, it makes sense to turn the pony loose. If they're about to enter a mine, that pony will really be out of its element," said Weiss.

 **Jaune was leaning on the side of the mountain with his eyes closed, as Ozpin tried yet another password. Jaune didn't know how long they had been at it, but then again he stopped counting after the 23** **rd** **attempt.**

 **Sploosh…!**

 **Jaune snapped to, and turned to see that Sun and Neptune were tossing rocks into the water to pass the time. Neptune tossed a rock, and Sun was about to toss another to outdo Neptune, when Jaune moved stopped him.**

" **Do not disturb the water," warned Jaune as he held onto Sun's wrist.**

" **Why?" asked Sun.**

" **Is there something in the water?" asked Neptune.**

" **I do not know," said Jaune, "However, when you live in the wilds for as long as I have, you learn it is best not to make unnecessary noise, especially at night. You do not know what may be lurking in the dark."**

"True," said Emerald, "Before I awakened my aura, and got my semblance, I had to be very careful about what I did."

"…It's a good lesson to know," agreed Glynda reluctantly.

" **Oh, it's useless," sighed Ozpin, as dropped his staff, and sighed heavily as he sat with the others.**

 **Jaune noticed movement in the water, and judging from the fact that Pyrrha was next to him as she stared at the water, so did she.**

"Something is there, and it looks big," said Raven.

"They are in a real bad spot if it attacks, since there aren't many exits," said Tai.

" **Wait… It's a riddle," said Ruby off to the side.**

 **The water shifted, and Jaune and Pyrrha tensed at the placid wave that washed onto the shore. Jaune held his sword, and Pyrrha put herself between the water and the hobbits.**

" **Speak, friend, and enter…" Ruby turned to Ozpin, "What's the Elvish word for 'friend?"**

" **Mellon…" said Ozpin.**

 **The door split down the middle, and opened. The noise got Jaune, and Pyrrha's attention, and they all sighed in relief, as an avenue to leave their precarious position presented itself. Everyone got to their feet, grabbed their packs and moved inside.**

"Isn't that ironic. An Elvish word for Dwarven door," said Kali.

"Things must have been different then," said Ghira.

" **Soon, Lady-Elf, you will have a taste of the fabled hospitality of the dwarves," boasted Ironwood, "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off of bone!"**

"Ooh, tasty…" shuddered Nora with giddiness.

"I'm getting hungry, again," grumbled Mercury.

"Wait, why's it so dark?" asked Pyrrha.

 **Jaune looked about, and saw only darkness. He noticed Ozpin fished out a crystal from his robes for a socket in his staff.**

 **SNAP.**

 **Jaune looked down, and saw that he stepped on an arrow. What was curious was that the illumination of the moonlight from the door showed that the fletching was not of Dwarven origin.**

" **This my friends is the home of my liege lord, Balin. And they call it a 'mine.' A mine…!" he chuckled.**

 **However, Ironwood's laughter stopped when he realized something was wrong. The room they were in was dark, and there was no Dwarven retinue to greet them. Jaune then saw the Ozpin raise his staff, and the crystal glowed.**

" **This is no mine… It's a tomb," gasped Pyrrha as she saw what the light revealed.**

 **Jaune shuddered. There were dwarves; dead dwarves, numbering in the dozens.**

"Uh-oh," said Ruby.

"Oh god…" gasped Blake.

Ironwood's body went rigid.

" **No…" Ironwood shook his head.**

 **The dwarves were riddled with arrows, and the flesh had rotted away, leaving behind gooey skeletons that teemed with maggots, spiders, and centipedes.**

" **No… No… NOOOO!" cried out Ironwood in grief.**

"I think we just learned why my counterpart wanted to avoid this route," said Ozpin.

"Why not tell them then? That's my counterpart's people and comrades," growled Ironwood.

"Maybe he didn't want to hurt your feelings," taunted Cinder.

Ironwood's cybernetic arm clenched into a fist at Cinder's words, but Glynda put a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed a little.

 **Blake moved to one of the corpses, pulled out an arrow, and examined it.**

" **Goblins…" she spat out in disgust before she tossed the arrow.**

 **Pyrrha, Jaune, and Blake pulled out their weapons, and eyed the darkness of the mines warily as they formed a wall in front of the terrified hobbits.**

" **We make for the Gap of Rohan," she suggested, and Jaune did not protest, "We should never have come here. Now let's get out of here!"**

" **AAAHHH!"**

" **Strider – I mean, Jaune!" shouted Yang.**

 **Jaune turned around, and saw that Ruby was being dragged by something in the water. It was serpentine in shape, and coiled around Ruby's leg. The amount of muscle was such that even though Sun, and Neptune tried to hold down Ruby, they were being dragged too.**

"Oh no!" squeaked Ruby in fright.

"Is that a snake?" asked Weiss with a shudder.

"I do not believe a snake of that size would exist in a climate such as the mountains," began Penny, "Furthermore, if it was a snake, it would first bite the victim then-"

"Okay Penny, thanks for the info," cut off Yang as she worriedly looked at the screen.

 **Jaune immediately moved as Yang drew her sword, and hacked at what held onto her sister.**

" **Get off her!" Yang shouted as she hacked it twice.**

 **It let go…**

"Oh yeah! Go me!" cheered Yang.

"Best sister ever!" shouted Ruby in relief.

"Aww, thanks sis," said Yang

 **It went back into the water – five more shot out, and struck Yang, Sun, and Neptune off of Ruby, before they around Ruby's arms and legs.**

"That's no snake. It's a mass of tentacles," said Pyrrha.

"Ruby's been captured by tentacles!" cried Nora.

Blake, who had been eating some popcorn choked at the outburst, and bore a virulent blush on her face.

"Do you have to say it like that?" asked Yang, also with a blush.

"Why what's wrong with what Nora said. It's true, isn't it?" asked Weiss.

"Well… Um," Blake began but sighed, "Lean in, Weiss."

The heiress did, and Blake whispered.

"…Ugh… UGH! Gods that's… What…?!" Weiss choked out.

"What is it?" asked Ruby.

"When you're older… Actually, never," all three of her teammates said.

That just made Ruby frown, and more curious.

 **She was foisted up in the air, when Jaune and Pyrrha charged into the shallows of the water, and hacked at the mess of tentacles coming out of the water. One made for Ruby's neck, but Blake shot it with an arrow and the creature recoiled. Jaune finished cutting off on of the tentacles in the water, in the hopes it would get whatever held the young hobbit to back off.**

 **Suddenly a massive shape like a head emerged from the water with large eyes, and a toothy maw emerged from the depths.**

" **GRRAAAAAHHH!" it moaned in a low roar.**

"That's one ugly bastard," said Qrow.

"I don't think I can eat calamari again," said Tai.

"Or you could eat more, in revenge," suggested Kali.

"Hmm…" Tai hummed thoughtfully.

 **Pyrrha cut one of the tentacles close to the one that held Ruby, and it finally let go. Pyrrha caught her and Jaune struck at a tentacle that made for Pyrrha.**

"Safe!" cheered Ruby.

"Not yet," said Emerald as she leaned forward.

" **Into the mines!" shouted Ozpin, once Ruby was safe.**

" **Blake, into the caves!" shouted Pyrrha as Jaune continued to beat back tentacles to cover their retreat.**

 **Jaune fended off another attack from the creature when he saw an elven arrow lodge itself between the creature's eyes. He turned immediately, sprinted out of the water, and made for the inside.**

 **CRACK-CRACK-CRUMBLE!**

 **Jaune turned briefly to see the creature attack, and tear up the gate. It caused the stone roof above to fracture, and he and the rest of the fellowship just kept running in as the entrance collapsed. When the rocks finally settled, all they could hear in the dark was their panting for air.**

" **We now have but one choice," began Ozpin, before he thumped his staff on the ground and the crystal within lit up, "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older, and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."**

 **Jaune and the other followed Ozpin, who used his staff like a torch to light the way.**

" **Quietly now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence goes unnoticed," said Ozpin.**

"Four days in silence," began Ironwood, "That's going to be difficult."

"How so?" asked Blake.

"Humans, and faunus, are social creatures, generally speaking," began Ironwood, "You'd be surprised how much not having someone to talk to can affect your psychology. It takes a certain kind of discipline to go that long without talking."

"They could whisper," suggested Penny.

"That would certainly ease any internal tension, but not for long. There's also the darkness of the mines to consider, and that too will play games with their minds," pointed out Ironwood.

 **There was no sense of time in the mines. They moved through the built up caverns and underground roads, and there was an eerie sense of endlessness. With no sun or moon or stars, it was a nearly endless sight of darkness with the exception of Ozpin's staff, and the occasionally luminescent crystals that it lit up.**

"I'm starting to see your point," said Ren, "Without any lights, there's no sense of time in that place. Time would be nonexistent in the mind."

"And without a sense of time, you wouldn't know when to sleep or eat. In fact, part of Specialist training requires you be in a similar environment, and learn to deal with the psychological effects, such as solitary confinement," expanded Ironwood.

"There's also the danger of them straying them away. If they're in a mining complex, they'll have to stay close to the lights. There could be a sharp drop, and they wouldn't know it," said Ilia.

 **Suddenly, after some time, Ozpin stopped moving as his hands ran across one of the stone walls.**

" **The wealth of Moria was not in gold, or jewels, but mithril," said Ozpin.**

 **He lowered his staff to point down toward the cavern they had apparently been walking around.**

"Crap, they were next to a cavern the whole time?" gasped Ilia.

"Okay, that's freaky," gulped Yang.

"Glad I don't work in a mine," said Mercury.

"A shame. It'd be so easy to get rid of you," muttered Emerald.

 **Slowly, a nearly endless glimmer of starlight colored metal glowed in the depths. Jaune looked down, but made sure to lean too far. His eyes were wide with wonder as he saw just how fabulously wealthy the dwarves of the mines actually were.**

" **That's a lot of ore," gasped Pyrrha.**

" **The high elves used it as currency in ages past…" replied Jaune.**

" **By the gods…" Pyrrha laughed in disbelief.**

" **Not just coins, but weapons and armor as well. Some of history's most famous weapons and armor was forged from this precious metal," added Ozpin.**

"Talk about utility," said Winter.

"The 'dust' of this world?" suggested Weiss.

"It's comparable in value, if that's what you mean," said Archie.

 **Eventually Ozpin raised up his staff, and the mine were once more engulfed in darkness.**

" **In fact, Tai Yang had a shirt of mithril ring that Thorin gave him," said Ozpin.**

" **Ooh, that was kingly gift!" praised Ironwood.**

" **Yes," chuckled Ozpin, "I never told him, but it's worth was greater than the value of the Shire."**

 **Ruby was stunned by the information.**

" **Father was that rich?" asked Yang.**

" **Oh, yes," said Ozpin, "If the Kingdom of Arnor still existed, and if he felt so inclined, he could have made himself Lord of the Shire."**

"Lord Tai Yang…?" mused Tai Yang, "Nice."

Ruby and Yang rolled their eyes.

"Here we go…" began Raven.

"Talk about an ego," said Qrow.

 **For days the company moved quietly, and they arrived at a three way fork in the halls of Moria. There, Ozpin looked, and Jaune looked expectantly for the wizard to make a decision on which way to go.**

"… **I have no memory of this place," said Ozpin.**

 **Ozpin meant for it to be a whisper, but Jaune's sharp ears picked it up.**

" **Set up camp, I need to think on this," said Ozpin to everyone.**

 **Jaune set down his pack, and helped Yang set up a campfire. Once it was lit, Yang pulled out some dried fruit, and everyone sat around to wait for Ozpin's decision.**

"Just eenie-meenie-miny-moe it," said Nora.

"Nora you can't make a decision like that in this situation," said Ren.

"Why not?" asked Nora.

"They could wind up in a goblin nest, for one," suggested Ironwood.

"Or something worse," said Pyrrha.

"They've got a wizard, Pyrrha, and a dwarf. It'll be easy," said Nora.

Ren sighed, as Pyrrha giggled, and Ironwood and Ozpin rolled their eyes.

 **Ruby stared at Ozpin's thinking form when she heard the others.**

" **Are we lost?" whispered Sun.**

" **Let him think," was all Neptune said.**

 **Clack…**

 **Ruby turned and looked down into the chasm she heard the noise from. Through a light that came through a crack in the cavern roof, she saw a creature crawl, and leap into a hole in far below into the darkness. Alarmed she moved to Ozpin, though quietly so as not to alarm the others.**

"What is that?" shuddered Ruby.

"Yeah, it was like a gecko, or something," said Ilia.

" **There's something down there," whispered Ruby.**

" **It's Gollum," answered Ozpin as he stared at the three doors before him.**

"… **Gollum?" gasped Ruby.**

"The creep that found the ring?" asked Emerald.

"Looks like someone's been stalked," said Cinder.

"She really wants her bling back, huh," said Mercury.

" **She's been following us for three days…" said Ozpin.**

" **She escape the dungeons of Salem?" asked Ruby.**

"Hmm, I suppose they found out Gollum had the ring, and tried to ascertain its location," said Ozpin.

"Maybe that explains why my counterpart had to leave home," said Ruby.

"Quite so, Miss Rose," said Archie.

" **Escaped…?" mused Ozpin, who then turned to Ruby, "Or set loose? And now the Ring has drawn her here. She will never be rid of her need for it. She hates and loves the Ring, as she hates and loves herself. Cinder's life was a sad story."**

Cinder stared wide-eyed at the screen.

"What did he say?!" Cinder shouted as she got to her feet.

" **Cinder?" asked Ruby.**

" **Yes," said Ozpin as he faced her, "Cinder,' she was once called. Before the Ring found her. Before it drove her mad."**

Cinder slumped onto her bottom as she tried to process the information.

"That's me…? I'm that freak from the beginning?!" she half-gasped, half-shouted.

"Uh…" began Mercury.

"D-Did I say 'freak?' I meant… Err-" began Emerald, uncertain how to walk back her words.

"Silence…" growled Cinder in a low voice.

Emerald and Mercury did as they were told.

 **Ruby frowned before she looked out into the hole.**

" **It's a pity father didn't kill her when he had the chance," Ruby spat.**

Ruby gasped.

"Ruby?" asked Yang.

"I know she's a bad guy, but hearing my counterpart talk about killing like that…"

" **Pity…?" said Ozpin, and Ruby faced him, "It was pity that stayed Tai Yang's hand. Many who live deserve death, and some that died deserve life. Can you give it to them, Ruby?"**

 **Ruby looked away; no answer came to her.**

Everyone, aside from Cinder's group and Raven became thoughtful. The younger viewers, Blake especially wondered about their futures as huntsmen and huntresses. They knew that they may have to fight more than just grimm, but there was always that sense of unease of ending a life, wretched it may be. The adults thought more on the latter words of Ozpin. They knew that at times, grave actions needed to be done to accomplish their missions. However, there were always those missions where upon reflections perhaps things could have been done differently so that more lives could be saved.

" **Do not be too quick to deal out death and judgement," scolded Ozpin quietly, "Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Tai Yang may rule the fates of many."**

"One action ruling the fate of many…" said Ozpin.

"Sir?" asked Glynda.

 _Ozpin awoke in the lands of the Dark Brother, Salem holding him with a smile of joy and relief…_

"Nothing, Glynda," said Ozpin.

 **Ruby slumped next to the wizard.**

" **I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened," she sighed sadly.**

" **So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide," began Ozpin, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."**

"That's true," said Ren.

"Oh?" asked Pyrrha.

"There are times when the world seems to be ending…" said Ren as he remembered Kuroyuri, "But I guess one needs to remember that some things are beyond our control. One should not ignore what they can do, because they're distracted by what they ultimately cannot change."

After his home was ruined, he had to focus on helping Nora, and himself.

 **Ruby looked to him.**

" **There are other forces at work in this world, besides good and evil. Tai Yang was meant to find the ring, which means you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought."**

"Given what they went through, how would Ruby and I getting the ring be a good thing?" asked Tai.

"Better the two of you than Salem," said Ozpin.

"Huh… I guess," said Tai.

 **Ruby pondered Ozpins words, when suddenly, he looked up.**

" **Oh, it's that way!" said Ozpin.**

 **A/N: I really wanted to do all of Moria in one go, but given how much content is actually in this segment of the movie, it would have been too much. The next chapter is written, I just need to put in the reaction portions.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **In The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, part of the prequel/sequel trilogy, it was the first time women in the Tolkien universe fought as part of an army. It was one of the reasons I chose to keep the genders the same, though, in my opinion, it diminishes the significance of Eowyn's role in the story of being a woman warrior that bested the Witch King, and fulfilling the prophecy of the Witch King.**

 **The elven smith who put the Star of Feanor on the doors of Moria was none other than Celebrimbor, the elf in the** _ **Shadow or Mordor/War**_ **games, and the chief crafter of the Rings of Power after Sauron himself. He is the sole survivor of the House of Feanor, and in the book, he actually broke from his family and their increasingly evil tendencies as they pursued the three gems known as the Simarils. He is also portrayed as much wiser in the books than he is in the games.**

 **The gem the Sindar and Dwarves fight over is one of the three Simarilli, gems of unequal beauty that captured the light of the world.**

 **In a video by Men of the West on YouTube regarding how magic worked in LOTR, the guy (I can't spell his name), said something quite interesting. He states that despite the genre, Tolkien uses magic in an extremely conservative fashion in** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **. I recommend watching the video, since it's better explained than anything I can write.**

 **Taking into account the previous note, in a YouTube comment by "Carson Blair" on "The Pass of Caradhras LOTR 1.13 [HD 1080p]" posted by Medivh, the "magic duel" between Gandalf and Saruman on Caradhras was in fact attempts to persuade the mountain to do their bidding. To paraphrase the comment, Gandalf and Saruman both are using their Fea and influence as a Maiar spirits, to influence the mountain's Fea to spare, or destroy the fellowship respectively.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: Fall**


	28. LOTR-FOR: Fall

**Yay, more good reviews!**

 **Also, an important announcement.**

 **To settle this once and for all, I am doing the** _ **whole**_ **trilogy in succession, but I am not doing _The_** _ **Hobbit**_ **. As fun as that would be, I have other universes I want to get to. However, fear not** _ **Hobbit**_ **fans, or those who are not** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **fans, for I have good news. Given the success of my "Vignette Shorts" chapter a while back, I will be putting a vignette chapter after each of the movies.**

 **I'm doing this mostly for those who aren't too big on LOTR, but also so that I get something of a break in between the movies. I want to be able to tackle each of the movies without feeling like I'm neglecting some of my other readers.**

 **I hope this puts a smile on some of your faces. Now then, to the best part of Moria.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 28 – Fall**

" **Oh, it's that way!" said Ozpin**

 **Jaune and the others immediately turned to Ozpin.**

" **He's remembered," said Neptune as Jaune got his pack.**

" **No… But the air does not smell so foul in this direction. When in doubt Master Neptune, always follow your nose," chuckled Ozpin.**

 **Jaune could not help but smirk at the advice.**

"That's hardly good advice," said Blake.

"Works for me," said Sun.

"Same," said Qrow.

"…Kind of," chuckled Ghira as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Blake, Kali, and Ilia rolled their eyes.

 **Soon, the stairs led them to a large open space, and Jaune saw some tall pillars.**

" **Let me risk a little more light…" whispered Ozpin.**

 **Jaune saw Ozpins crystal light up more brightly, and he marveled at what he saw.**

" **Behold! The great Dwarf realm, and city of Dwarrowdelf!" announced Ozpin.**

 **They were in a vast hall of many pillars of stone. They reached high above their heads, easily the same height as the great mallorn trees of Lothlorien. The hall stretched endlessly from both ends of where they stood, and with perfect symmetry.**

Almost everyone in the audience was floored by what they saw, despite it being in ruin. Ren, Pyrrha, Coco, and Velvet admired the workmanship of the pillars and the precision that went into the layout. Ruby and her team were reminded in some ways of Mountain Glen's underground, but this seemed more impressive somehow. Perhaps it was the idea that a medieval civilization would be able to accomplish an engineering feat of this magnitude. Ozpin, Ironwood, Qrow and Glynda saw it as a true marvel.

"Wow!" marveled Ilia, "I like to think my parents were great miners, but this…"

"I know…" said Weiss, equally amazed, "Given the setting of this universe, they must still be using hand tools. I'm not sure our best miners in the SDC could pull this off."

"All of it carved with picks, hammers, and chisels," confirmed Archie.

"This is a truly remarkable feat!" announced Penny, "If only I could examine the pillars, and see just how precise these Dwarves are. It would be like one of those weapons comparison videos you can watch through the CCT."

"A remarkable feat, indeed…" said Ironwood, "All that with sweat, muscle, and a keen eye. Suddenly, I kind of like the idea that I'm a dwarf in this universe."

"That's because dwarves are AWESOME!" declared Nora.

" **Now that's an eye-opener, and no mistake," said Yang.**

" **How long do you think it took to carve all this from the bedrock?" asked Pyrrha, awestruck.**

" **A long time…" answered Jaune.**

" **If you think this impressive, I remember what it was like," said Ozpin, "Lamps of pure crystal so bright, it rivaled the sun, stars, and moon. Carvings of stone with silver filigree, with marble floors, and a gold leaf flecks in the mortar. The honor guard in resplendent armor with spears of silver-steel, and the songs of minstrels and harps near the grand hall itself."**

"Wait!" gasped Weiss, "The pillars I could understand, but there was actual gold in the mortar? In the flooring?"

That got not only the attention of Schnee sisters, but also Raven, and Cinder and her group's interest.

"Talk about filthy rich…" said Emerald.

"Nice…" Yang laughed, then she stopped, 'Did she just make a pun I liked? And no one groaned? Bitch…!' she thought.

"It almost makes father seem… humble, in how he built up our family mansion," said Winter.

"It would have been so cool to see," said Ruby, "Especially the Honor Guard in full gear. Ooh, maybe they would let me examine how their gear was made."

"I would have liked to see the minstrels," said Velvet, "Given what dwarves seem to be like, I can imagine a lot of baritones in their singing."

" **A shame it fell…" said Ruby, in awe at the image Ozpin gave.**

" **A shame, indeed…" said Ozpin.**

" **HA!" gasped Ironwood.**

" **Ironwood!" called out Ozpin.**

 **Jaune saw the dwarf take off, and he went after him along with the rest of the group. Ironwood had entered into a small room and staggered before a single tomb with a ray of light upon it surrounded by the skeletons of dwarves.**

" **N-No…" shuddered Ironwood.**

 **His eyes watered, and he genuflected before the tomb, his head against the stone.**

" **Ahhhh… Oh, my lord… MY LORD…" he wept.**

Ironwood could not help but relate. While Ironwood may not have understood what it was like to serve a liege, he knew what it was like to serve under a good commander.

"Just like that one mission…" said Ironwood as his good hand took off the glove on his cybernetic arm.

"It wasn't your fault, James," said Glynda.

"It was," sighed Ironwood, "I was cocky, and brash. I pursued the enemy instead of listening to my captain… It was a trap."

In fact his accident would have killed if not for his captain at the time shielding him from the dust explosion. While the fire burned off his arm and legs, the body of his captain had shielded his torso from the explosion. When he came to a few weeks after the surgeries, and had learned that his commanding officer had died protecting him, he had been a total wreck.

"Did you learn from it?" asked Glynda.

Ironwood nodded.

"Did you improve yourself as a result?" she pressed.

"Yes," said Ironwood.

"Then your captain would be proud of you. Proud his sacrifice helped shape you into the general you've become. One who cares for his men, and whose men will rally to his side. That's what I believe, anyway," said Glynda.

"…Thank you, Glynda," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune and the other approached the tomb, and Ozpin leaned to read an inscription.**

" **Here lies Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," sighed Ozpin, "So, he is dead then. It's as I feared."**

"So, he knew something was wrong? Why not simply come out, and say it?" asked Ironwood.

"I wish I knew, James. I wish I knew," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune saw Pyrrha place a hand on Ironwood's shoulder to comfort him, while the dwarf muttered a prayer in Dwarvish. He then turned to see Ozpin gave Sun his hat and staff, before he leaned down to pick up a book.**

" **We must move on, we cannot linger," whispered Blake.**

" **Not yet. Let Ironwood grieve," replied Jaune.**

" **They have taken the bridge," said Ozpin.**

 **They all turned to see Ozpin read the book from the floor.**

" **And the Second Hall," continued Ozpin, "We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes… Drums; Drums in the deep."**

 **Jaune saw Ozpin turn the page.**

" **We cannot get out," said Ozpin.**

The audience felt a chill up their spine from the grim tone Ozpin said those words in. The thought of being trapped in the dark, and dying in their own home had a particular effect on most of them, especially the students watching.

 **Jaune saw the hobbits get antsy.**

" **A shadow looms in the dark. We cannot get out," said Ozpin, who then turned the page.**

" **They are coming…"**

"Is that how the people of Mountain Glen must have felt?" asked Ruby.

"What a horrible way to go," said Kali.

 **CRASH!**

Everyone jolted at the sudden noise.

 **Jaune and the others jumped at the noise, and saw that Sun had retracted his hand from a corpse that sat on a well. To Jaune's horror, he saw the rest of the body fall in followed by a chain with a pail.**

 **CRAASSSHHHHH-BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG-SHATTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRR-BANNNNGGGG-TTTHHHHUUUUNNNNKKLLLEE-CRASHhhhhhhhhhh…!**

 **There was an echo throughout the empty structure, and a deafening silence.**

"Damnit…" sighed Sun, "I know I can be nosy, but I'm not that bad, am I?"

"No. Your counterpart is more…" trailed off Blake.

"Dumb?" suggested Sun.

"Flighty?" suggested Velvet.

"Curious," said Penny.

"That's the word," said Blake.

"That… doesn't help me much. In fact, it's kind of the same thing," said Sun.

 **Jaune closed his eyes, and hoped what happened did not really happen.**

" **Ah…" sighed Pyrrha.**

 **Ozpin slammed the book on the floor, a furious expression on his face.**

" **Foolish idiot!" scolded Ozpin who got his hat and staff back from Sun, "Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity."**

 **Sun looked down in shameful embarrassment.**

 **Boom…**

 **Everyone went still at the noise, and Jaune turned with the others to the well where the corpse fell into.**

 **Boom-Boom… Boom-Boom-Boom… Boom-Boom-Boom-Boo-Boo-Booom…**

" **eeeeYAH!" echoed a noise among the drums.**

 **Jaune instinctively grasped his sword.**

" **Ruby?" gasped Yang.**

 **Ruby looked down to where Yang pointed, she saw a glow from the sword she held. She drew it out, and Sting radiated a pale blue light.**

" **Orcs," declared Blake.**

"Looks like the whole mine is awake now," said Ghira.

"After that much noise, I'd be surprised if the enemy wasn't on high alert," said Penny.

"If they move now, they may be able to get out," said Pyrrha.

"I don't think they can. Remember, the journal said they cannot get out. The enemy must have all the exits covered," said Winter.

"Looks like they're gonna have to fight it out," said Mercury, excited.

 **Jaune saw Pyrrha move to the door, and he followed. He saw her lean back quickly-**

 **Thunk-Thunk…**

 **Two arrows stuck into the door where Pyrrha's head was, and Jaune saw her grab the door, and he helped her seal it shut.**

" **GRRAAGGHHH!"**

 **The two managed to seal it shut, and Pyrrha sighed.**

" **They have a cave troll," she muttered.**

" **Lovely…" sighed Jaune.**

"A troll? You mean like those giant statues in the forest from before?" asked Ruby.

"Guess we'll see what one looks like for real," said Yang.

 **Blake joined them now, and got some axes. The two humans got them, and used them as braces and bars for the door. As the three joined the others, Ozpin drew his sword, and the hobbits followed suit. Jaune and Blake got out their bows, and drew them as Ironwood climbed on the sarcophagus of his late liege.**

" **Bah! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath," declared the dwarf as he held both his throwing axe and his primary axe in both of his hands.**

"Were you like that as well before, sir?" asked Winter.

"Yes," said Ironwood, "I still am, though I dropped the attitude. Training in the Specialists teaches you to be loyal, as I'm sure you well know. Everything from bar fights, to battles, to even the grave we fight for our own."

"Yes, sir," chuckled Winter, who then blinked, "Bar fights?"

"No friggin way," added Qrow, impressed.

"Oh yes… That's actually how we met, remember Glynda?" asked Ironwood with a wry smile.

Glynd frowned, and crossed her arms.

"Quite…" was her response.

"Sounds like a story," said Tai with a smile.

 **At that the door began to bang, and Jaune nocked an arrow to his bowstring as did Blake. The banging continued, and Jaune kept his eyes on the door. Soon an orc axe split the wood on one of the planks of the door. Blake let loose an arrow.**

" **EEYYAA…!" shrieked an orc.**

 **Another plank splintered, and Jaune let loose an arrow.**

" **RRAAGH…!"**

 **Pyrrha drew her sword, and banged on her shield.**

 **BOOM!**

 **The gate burst open, and swarm of black skittered the room. Jaune saw a lone goblin swing its sword forward. It had large eyes suited for seeing in the dark, and black armor. It's skin was a greenish-white color, veiny and translucent. It had elvish ears and jagged teeth.**

"That's freaky," said Mercury.

"You can see their veins. I guess when you don't get much sun, you evolve looking like that," said Ghira.

"The armor, and the way they move makes them look a bit like roaches," shuddered Coco.

"Gross…" agreed Emerald.

"Kill them all! For the glory of the Dwarves!" commanded Nora.

"They can't here you, Nora," said Ren.

"We gotta cheer for the team, Ren" insisted Nora.

"Beat them down!" cheered Yang.

"Kick their ass!" shouted Ruby.

"Ruby!" shouted Tai and Yang.

"What? Uncle Qrow says it all the time," said Ruby.

Raven laughed as the two blondes shot death glares at Qrow.

"Hey, don't look at me. You were the ones who let me train her," yelped Qrow.

 **SPPPLLKK!**

 **Blood spurted from its head as Blake added an arrow to its face.**

"That's a nice improvement," said Ghira.

"Good shot, Blake," agreed Kali

"Umm… Thanks? Even though that's not me," said Blake.

 **Ironwood roared as the goblins flooded, and Jaune, and Pyrrha charged. Jaune swung his sword, and cut down the goblins while Pyrrha bashed with her shield and swung her sword. Jaune cut down another, and he saw that Ozpin and the hobbits were also in the fray.**

 **Jaune saw Yang cut down her first orc, then a second one…**

"Go me!" cheered Yang

 **CRASH**

 **A cave troll burst into the room. It had a club in one hand, and was led in by a goblin by a chain on its neck.**

" **GRRAAGGHHH!" it roared.**

 **Jaune saw it charge at Yang, and swung its club.**

"Get away, me!" Yang warned and shouted to the screen.

 **He saw the club miss Yang narrowly, as she jumped under the troll. The troll turned around, and gave chase.**

"So that's a troll? It's like a beringel, but with a club," said Sun.

"More like a bigger, and uglier goblin," said Mercury.

"Either way, it looks like it's all brawn and no brain," said Coco.

"That can actually be more dangerous. You never quite know what idiots are going to do," said Ilia.

 **Jaune charged and cut down the goblin holding the chain of the troll, and grabbed the chain once it died.**

" **Pyrrha! Help me!" shouted Jaune.**

 **Pyrrha cut down another goblin, and joined him. She grabbed the chain, and the duo yanked it hard. The troll stumbled, and Yang scrambled away.**

"Woohoo! Nice save!" cheered Yang.

"Of course. We're friends," said Pyrrha.

 **Jaune's relief was short lived through when it's stumble, the trolls swung its club. He immediately ducked, but Pyrrha was in no danger and she just stepped back. Jaune suddenly saw the troll grab the chain, and he let go and rolled to the side. But he saw that Pyrrha still hung on.**

"Oh dear…" gulped Pyrrha.

" **Pyrrha, the-"**

 **Before he could finish his warning, the troll yanked the chain, and flung her to the side of a wall.**

"Ouch…" winced Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora.

 **Jaune saw a goblin try to kill her, but he drew his hunting dagger and threw it. Pyrrha, who was in the middle of reaching for her sword, was stunned by the dagger killing her attacker. Jaune immediately got to her side, and helped her up.**

" **You alright?" he asked.**

" **Yeah, thanks," said Pyrrha.**

 **Jaune nodded, got his dagger, and the two got back into the fray.**

"It's good to know we fight well together here too," said Pyrrha.

"It's a little different though, since Jaune's just as good as you," said Ren.

"Maybe, but the comradery is there. That's what matters," said Ruby.

"That's right!" chirped Nora.

"Ugh…" gagged Cinder to herself.

"So… Are you feeling better, ma'am?" ventured Emerald.

Cinder barely said anything when she found out she was that creature from the – And Cinder now shot Emerald a glare.

"S-Sorry…" apologized Emerald quickly.

 **SLAM**

 **Jaune killed another goblin, and turned to the source of the noise. The troll had crushed the sarcophagus of Balin. The troll was about to kill Ironwood, but he saw several arrows embedded itself in the beast's chest. He saw Blake had provided support, and Jaune went back to fighting, reassured that Ironwood would be okay.**

"Thanks for the save," said Ironwood.

"That's not… I mean, you're welcome," said Blake.

"I know it's not really us, but it's good to see two races set aside grievances in the face of a common threat," said Ironwood.

"Yes, it is," said Blake.

" **Ahh!" shouted Sun, Neptune, and Ruby in the distance.**

 **Jaune saw that the troll had targeted the three hobbits.**

" **Ruby!" shouted Jaune.**

"That's not good," said Weiss.

"Given the height and muscle difference, the chances of them fighting off the troll without any support would be… bad," gulped Penny.

"They just need to avoid getting caught until Jaune gets there," said Ruby nervously.

 **As the troll was searching about, Jaune fought hard to get to a position to assist Ruby. One by one he cut them down, and a goblin latched onto him.**

"It's like those game bosses where the big boss has all those minions that get in the way," said Ruby as she leaned forward on the edge of her seat.

 **He reached over his shoulder, and threw the goblin down before he stabbed it in the chest with his sword.**

" **Jaune… Jaune...!" shouted Ruby.**

"Hurry!" urged Tai.

"He's going as fast as he can. It's not his fault there's so much crap in the way," said Qrow.

 **Jaune looked and saw Ruby had slashed the hand of the troll that got her.**

Ruby nearly fell from the couch, but Weiss caught her.

 **Jaune looked about, and saw a massive pike. He ran and he grabbed it, and in a smooth motion, he lunged between the troll and Ruby.**

"Saved!" said Nora with her arms in an "X" shape.

"It's hard to see myself looking so helpless," said Ruby.

"She's hardly helpless. I mean I'm pretty sure you managed to take out a goblin or two in the fighting. It's just that troll's way too big for you to fight by yourself, like Penny said," reassured Yang.

 **Jaune swung the pike at the troll's face, and it backed off. He then pulled back the pike, and thrust it into the gut of the troll, and he twisted the weapon. The troll cried in pain, and dropped its club.**

"While it's still quite dangerous, at least its hands have relinquished its weapon. It should now be somewhat simpler to defeat," said Penny.

"True, but the spear looked like it only went through fat, as opposed to anything vital," pointed out Velvet.

 **Jaune then saw that a series of small stones strike against the troll's face, likely from Sun and Neptune. He was about to capitalize on the distraction, when the troll's arm struck his chest, and he landed hard against the wall, and darkness came…**

"That's gotta hurt," said Mercury.

"I hope Jaune's okay," said Pyrrha.

"He's probably just unconscious," said Ilia.

"That's not good. They're down a fighter in the middle of a battle," said Tai.

…

 **BOOM!**

 **Jaune jolted awake and gasped for air. He immediately noticed the silence, and looked about. The first thing he saw were the dead goblins, and then the dead troll with stab wounds on its back and neck area…**

"Well, that thing's dead at least," said Blake.

"It seems everyone made – Wait, where's Ruby?" asked Weiss.

' **The fighting is over – No!' Jaune thought.**

 **The second thing he saw was Ruby, face-down atop a prone pike. As everyone looked hopelessly at Ruby's body, Jaune got to his hands and knees and crawled.**

" **No… No…" he gasped.**

"Oh no…" gasped Ruby.

"Doesn't look like healing magic is going to help her this time," sniped Cinder.

"Shut it, Gecko-Lady," shouted Yang.

"Yeah, Bling-Creep!" added Nora.

"What did you say?!" demanded Cinder as fire shot out from clenched fists.

"Ahhh… Hot, HOT!" yelped Mercury.

"C-Cinder!" yelped Emerald

Cinder cut the flames off when she saw the ethereal prison merely absorbed the fire, but allowed the heat within build to blistering levels.

"Children, behave," said Archie nonchalantly, who vented the heat with a wave of his fingers.

 **He pulled her up, and braced himself for a grisly sight.**

" **Haa…" gasped Ruby.**

"I'm alive!" cheered Ruby.

"But how?" gasped Weiss, "Not that we aren't relieved, but did you see the size of that spear?"

"…Maybe the ring made her immortal," said Nora.

"I doubt that," said all of Team RWBY at the same time.

 **Relief and shock in equal measure fill Jaune's heart.**

" **Ruby, you're-" gasped Yang.**

" **I'm alright…" gasped out Ruby, "I'm not hurt."**

"… **You should be dead," gasped Jaune in wonder, "A spear like that would have skewered a wild boar…"**

" **I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eyes," commented Ozpin.**

 **Ruby looked down, and undid a button to reveal a shirt of mail underneath.**

" **Mithril!" laughed Ironwood, "You are full of surprises, young hobbit."**

"It appears Miss Xiao Long wasn't the only one to receive a fine coat from her father in this universe," said Ozpin.

"That material must be something," said Penny, "Typical chainmail tears apart in the face of thrusting weapons, and arrows. It's usually placed underneath plate armor or gambeson coats, if my knowledge of medieval armaments is correct."

"Whatever. Ruby's fine, so I'm happy to call it a day," shrugged off Qrow.

"YEP!" chorused Ruby, Yang, and Tai.

 **The group laughed in relief when suddenly the sound of armor, and shrieks in the distance brought them back to their situation.**

" **To the bridge of Khazad'dum," ordered Ozpin.**

 **Jaune helped Ruby to her feet, and the nine companions ran out an opening that led to the second hall. Led by Ozpin, they flew through the halls of Durin as quickly as the feet could carry them. In the distance, there were shimmering lights skittering toward them, a sound akin to roaches filled their ears.**

" **They're coming from above too!" shouted Neptune.**

 **Jaune looked up, and saw that goblins were climbing down from cracks in the ceiling.**

"Well, I guess the large eyes aren't the only adaptation these creatures have developed," said Ozpin.

"Ugh… That just makes them all the creepier," shuddered Ilia.

"How many goblins are there? It's like an infestation," said Ruby.

"It makes me wonder what chances my counterpart's lord had in keeping that city," said Ironwood.

" **Faster!" shouted Jaune.**

 **The order was no use though, and they were surrounded with no hope of escape.**

" **Rahh!" shouted Ironwood with a new, double-bearded axe of fine make, "Come, and die by the axe of my late lord!"**

"He must have gotten the weapon when the troll destroyed the sarcophagus," said Ironwood.

"Looks like he can test it out since they'll have to fight their way out," said Coco.

"Can they though? Those things are in their element," said Velvet.

"Well, there are three volumes of this universe, I'm sure they get out somehow," said Blake.

 **Some goblins looked eager to test the dwarf's resolve, but before they could pounce, the earth shook.**

" **GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…"**

"What was that?" asked Kali.

"Seems like the commotion caught something else's attention," said Ghira.

 **A low vibrating growl echoed through the halls, and rattled Jaune's bones. He looked about, and saw that the goblins were suddenly very afraid. They trembled as they looked about, but Jaune saw, at the other end of the hall, a faint orange light grow steadily brighter.**

" **GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAHH!"**

 **The goblins immediately scattered up the pillars, or toward the nearest cavern they could find.**

" **That's right, filth. Run!" laughed Ironwood.**

" **Ironwood…" warned Jaune as he tapped the dwarf's shoulder.**

 **The dwarf stopped his taunts when he saw the light Jaune pointed to get closer and closer. It was obscured by the columns, but they could tell that whatever it was, it was big. It was at that moment that Jaune and Pyrrha noticed Ozpin's eyes were shut and that he sweated, and dare they suggest it, trembled.**

"Seems like your counterpart knows what's approaching," said Glynda.

"Perhaps it wasn't the goblins he was afraid of…" said Ozpin.

" **What is this new devilry?" asked Pyrrha.**

 **Blake had her arrow ready to be drawn.**

"… **A balrog," answered Ozpin, "A demon of the ancient world."**

 **The arrow slipped from Blake's fingers, and Jaune could swear she looked just as pale and terrified as Ozpin.**

"Well… That's a telling reaction," said Cinder.

"I don't think I've ever seen any of your counterparts look that frightened," said Yang.

"I don't suppose you know what a balrog is, do you?" asked Glynda to Archie.

"Only what Jaune learned from Lord Nicholas' tutelage. They were the most terrible servants of the Dark Lord Morgoth, along with the dragons," said Archie.

"Morgoth… Didn't that elf king mention a 'Morgoth' at that battle against Salem?" asked Ozpin.

"He did. Morgoth was once Salem's master, and the first enemy the Elves, Dwarves, and Men," said Archie.

" **This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!" shouted Ozpin.**

 **The whole fellowship followed the example of the goblins, and ran for the nearest exit they could. They went to the door they had nearly gotten to while running from the goblins, and Jaune and Ozpin ushered everyone in. Jaune saw Ozpin stare a little longer at the approaching threat before the two followed. The pathway led to a large open cavern with a ruined Dwarven stair case, and pathway. Jaune saw that Blake had pulled Pyrrha from a near fall, and the two fell onto their backs. Jaune immediately turned to Ozpin, who stopped to breathe.**

" **Ozpin, are you okay?" asked Jaune.**

"… **Lead them on, Jaune," said Ozpin with a cryptic expression.**

 **Ozpin pointed ahead.**

" **The bridge is near," urged Ozpin.**

 **Jaune followed Ozpin's finger, and saw the Bridge of Khazad'dum in the distance. Suddenly the ground shook, and Jaune was about to charge back to face whatever was challenging them.**

" **Do as I say!" shouted Ozpin, who pushed back Jaune, "Swords are no more use here."**

"I can imagine so, if that thing is just as dangerous as a dragon," said Weiss.

"You mentioned that my counterpart went up against a dragon. What are they like?" asked Tai.

"Not sure. Jaune heard the story, but never saw a dragon himself," said Archie.

 **Ozpin got to his feet, and led the group down the stairs. All was well until they saw that part of the way had collapsed. Blake immediately jumped, and landed firmly on the other side of the gap.**

 **CRACK-CRASH.**

 **Ozpin and the others turned and saw entryway they had come from cracked. The balrog, it appeared, was trying to make its own way inside.**

" **Ozpin!" urged Blake.**

 **Jaune saw Ozpin make the leap and make it.**

 **sssssSHHHHHHHH-TCK!**

 **The fellowship saw an arrow land where Ozpin once stood, and they all turned to see that there were goblins on a nearby balcony. Before another could knock an arrow, Blake drew her bow and fired. Jaune drew his bow out, and before he could set up an arrow in his bow, the goblin Blake shot fell to the chasm. Jaune loosed his own arrow as well, but he missed.**

"Nice shot, Blake," said Yang.

"I wonder if I should make improvements to Gambol Shroud to improve the accuracy," said Blake.

"Ooh, I can help. We need to increase the barrel size… Are you thinking mid-range, or long?" asked Ruby with a giddy expression.

"Um… How about we talk about it later," said Blake.

"Boo!" harrumphed Ruby.

 **Boom-Boom!**

 **The stair began to crack.**

" **Sun, Neptune!" shouted Pyrrha.**

 **She grabbed them both, and held them under her arms before she leapt across the gap.**

 **They landed safely, but the part of the stair they were on collapsed.**

"That was close," said Sun.

"Yeah. That's a long way down," said Pyrrha.

" **Yang…" began Jaune as he nodded to Blake and Pyrrha.**

" **Yeah?" asked Yang.**

 **Jaune didn't answer. Instead he picked her up, and tossed her across the gap into the arms of Pyrrha and Blake.**

"What?!" gasped Yang and Tai.

"Not cool," said Ruby.

"Kind of funny, though," said Qrow.

Raven snorted in mild amusement.

 **Once they put her down, he turned to Ironwood.**

" **Nobody tosses a dwarf!" growled Ironwood.**

 **The dwarf leapt across the gap, and he made it… then tilted backward toward the chasm.**

Ironwood face-palmed.

 **Blake suddenly grabbed the dwarf by the beard to stop the fall.**

" **Not the beard!" shouted Ironwood.**

"Really? That's what he's concerned about?" Ironwood groaned as he dragged his hand down his face.

"It's a glorious beard," said Nora.

Ironwood gave a deadpan stare that Nora was oblivious to.

 **Blake ignored and yanked the dwarf to their side of the gap. However, Ironwood's stunt broke off part of the stair he leapt from. Jaune pushed Ruby back to a more stable area as the stair crumbled. Jaune leapt back as well, just in time to avoid plummeting.**

 **BOOM! BOOM!**

" **GRAAAGHH!" roared the balrog from above.**

 **CRACK.**

 **A piece of the ceiling fell, and crashed upon the pathway they came from.**

"No going back now," said Emerald.

"It's too far for them to jump though," said Velvet.

"If he tosses Ruby…" growled Tai Yang in a warning manner.

 **Then the pillar that held up the area of the stairs that he and Ruby were on began to crack.**

"Well, things just keep getting better and better," said Coco.

"I think it's exciting," said Emerald.

"Eh… Better than that whole council thing," said Mercury.

"I'm curious to see what this 'demon' actually is," said Cinder.

"Of course you would," said Pyrrha.

" **Ruby, stay calm," said Jaune.**

" **It's cracking!" objected Ruby.**

" **Be still! Spread your feet a little," said Jaune as the pillar wobbled, "Find your balance."**

 **The pillar wobbled a little, but Ruby followed Jaune's instruction. Soon, the pillar steadied, and Jaune sighed in relief.**

" **Now, lean forward. Just enough," instructed Jaune.**

 **The two leaned slightly, and their weight shift the pillar forward. Blake and Pyrrha reached out, and before the moment of impact, the two remaining members of the fellowship leapt into the waiting pair of arms.**

"Yeah!" shouted Ruby, and Nora cheerfully.

"They're safe!" said Pyrrha.

"Suck on that!" cheered Yang.

 **They braced one another that the stairs collided, and the ground shook. Once the vibrations stopped, though, the got to the feet, and ran down the rest of the stairs to another hallway that led to the bridge. Ozpin was the first to get there, and pointed to their escape.**

" **Over the bridge! Fly!" urged Ozpin as he ushered the group.**

 **The fellowship passed him, when suddenly, a nearby chasm erupted into flame. Jaune, and the others turned and saw a bipedal creature six times the size of grown man leap from the chasm into the hall. It had a body that glowed like molten magma, a skin of volcanic stone, wings like a bat that emitted choking black smoke, and a skull of that was of a man with the horns of a bull.**

"So that's what's chasing them," said Glynda.

"My… Such a magnificent creature," gushed Cinder.

"Sweet look," agreed Mercury.

"Now this is exciting," said Emerald.

"There was no way my counterpart's lord could have held the city with that thing running about," Ironwood shuddered.

"I've seen many grimm in all my years, but that…" shuddered Ozpin.

In fact, the last time he felt like he did right now was when he was Ozma, and beheld the dragon form of the God of Light. There was a similar feel that he got looking at the creature. The sense of raw power that just looking at it made his heart freeze in awe.

" **GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOO!"**

 **It's roar was like a wild fire, a lion's, and a mumakil all in one. Fire erupted from it's back, and chest, and arms, and it charged.**

 **Ozpin and the others ran from the monster as quickly as possible. They all made it to the bridge in time, and crossed one by one, and did their best not to look down into the chasm beneath.**

"Well that's perilous," said Yang.

"I wonder if dwarves know about guard rails. I mean they're skilled engineers, after all," said Penny.

"Well, from a defense perspective it would make sense. It would force an attacker to attack less vigorously for fear of falling, I suppose," ventured Ironwood.

"Meh… That's a pretty shaky reason," said Coco.

"True…" admitted Ironwood.

" **You cannot pass!" shouted Ozpin.**

 **Jaune, immediately whipped around, and saw that Ozpin stood in the middle of the bridge before the being, sword and staff in hand.**

" **Ozpin!" yelped Ruby.**

"What is he doing?" gasped Ruby.

"That creature… It cannot leave that mine. The havoc and destruction it could cause would be catastrophic," said Ozpin.

"Agreed. If it could bring low such a grand kingdom as the one they are in now, that creature can destroy more," said Ironwood.

"Not to mention, it served under Salem's old boss. It needs to be stopped, or Salem could try to recruit it for her own cause," said Qrow.

"H-He's a wizard, so it should know what he's doing," said Nora a little nervously.

"Well, that's a 180 from your previous confidence," whispered Pyrrha.

"Why so nervous now?" asked Ren quietly.

"Well, Ozpin's by himself. The only reason I thought the journey would be easier was because they were working together, you know," said Nora just as quietly.

Ren and Pyrrha nodded in understanding.

 **Jaune saw the creature's wing flap as it stood at full height, and fire erupted from all about the molten cracks on its body.**

"So… You ever fight a grimm like that?" asked Qrow.

"Not quite like that, and not by myself," admitted Ozpin.

In the old days, Salem's spells were always a great help in weakening such foes.

 **Ozpin simply raised his staff, and Jaune could see glint of light from his ring finger, and he immediately went down to help.**

" **I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor," intoned Ozpin loudly in a challenging manner.**

" **GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…!" the balrog growled in understanding, and reached for its hip, and drew a massive saber of pure fire.**

"Cool…" gushed Mercury.

"It understood his words…? It must be quite intelligent," said Cinder.

"Actually, the balrog and Ozpin are the same kind of being," said Archie, "Just as the balrog served the first dark lord, Ozpin serves the gods from the Undying Lands."

Ozpin smirked a little at the similarities.

" **Dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun!" shouted Ozpin, and a barrier of pure light surrounded him.**

 **The balrog swung, but his sword shattered into nothingness. Jaune stopped himself from running halfway down the stairs. He felt the raw power coming from the wizard and the demon, and it stunned him completely. He also saw, now that he was closer, what the pale light on Ozpin's ring finger was.**

" **Narya, the Elven Ring of Fire," gasped Jaune.**

 **It was one of the Elven Rings of Power, and he understood immediately this was a battle beyond his skills.**

"That was one of the rings from the beginning. I have one of the rings?" asked Ozpin.

"You were probably entrusted it by one of the bearers the same way our grandfather did in this universe," said Winter.

"I guess that ring helps you to fight that creature on an even footing," said Glynda.

"Well, it explains my counterpart's confidence," said Ozpin.

" **Go back to the shadows!" commanded Ozpin.**

" **HHGRRRN!" growled the balrog in defiance and it took a step onto the bridge reached for its hip once more.**

 **This time, it drew out a three-pronged whip of fire. The whip cracked the air about it.**

"Okay, hate to say it, but that whip's pretty cool," said Yang.

"Oh yes, I agree," said Raven with a smile.

"Do I want to know why you agree?" asked Tai.

"Oh, trust me, you probably don't," said Raven.

She only hoped Ozpin's whipping wouldn't be too quick.

 **Ozpin raised his staff and sword high into the air.**

" **YOU… SHALL NOT…" Ozpin brought his two weapons together, "PASS!"**

 **Jaune saw Ozpin bring his weapons down.**

 **THUMP.**

 **A bright light erupted from the butt of Ozpin's staff**

…

 **Nothing happened, and the balrog seemed to snort.**

"So much for being a being in the same class," said Cinder.

"Hmm… I wonder," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune saw the demon take another step onto the bridge, whip high in the air.**

 **CRACK**

 **The half of the bridge the creature stepped on gave, and soon it plummeted into the darkness.**

" **GRRRRAAAAAAOoooooo…"**

"Knew it!" said Ruby.

"That was a little predictable," said Coco.

"It's still awesome!" declared Sun.

"You were saying?" Ozpin taunted Cinder.

Cinder frowned.

 **Jaune sighed in relief, and he saw Ozpin turn around to join them.**

 **WHHOO-CRRAK…**

 **Jaune saw as a tendril of fire coiled around Ozpin's ankle, and pull him off his feet. The wizard grasped onto the bridge, and hung on for dear life.**

"I'm sorry, what was that?" asked Cinder.

Ozpin ignored Cinder.

 **Jaune moved to help, but Pyrrha's voice stopped his feet.**

" **No… NO!" he heard Pyrrha call out.**

 **Jaune turned back to see Pyrrha was keeping Ruby from helping.**

" **They're across the chasm!" called Pyrrha.**

 **Skitter-skitter-skitter…**

 **Jaune saw the goblins charging at full speed to the edge of the chasm.**

"Looks like there was an audience," said Ozpin.

"Can Jaune make it in time?" asked Pyrrha.

"… I do not believe so. Not at the rate those goblins are moving," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune turned to see Ozpin look toward the approaching goblins, before he faced Jaune.**

"… **Fly you fools," said Ozpin, just loud enough.**

 **Ozpin let go of the bridge.**

Almost everyone gasped.

" **NO!" cried Ruby in the distance.**

" **Jaune, hurry!" called Pyrrha as she carried the wailing hobbit out.**

 **Jaune was still stunned, but the whistling of goblin arrows broke him out of his daze. He ran up the stairs, and out with the others. They all ran a fair distance away from the eastern door of Moria before they collapsed in despair. Yang was by herself crying, and Neptune was holding onto Sun, who was a wreck.**

" **It's my fault…" cried Sun, "If I wasn't so stupid…"**

" **Let me go, girl!" shouted Ironwood, "We must avenge my late liege's friend at once!"**

 **Jaune saw that while Pyrrha did not appear against the idea, she held the dwarf back for his own good. Jaune got a cloth for his sword, and wiped it down.**

"They look so distraught," said Pyrrha.

"They lost their wizard, that's why," said Nora sadly.

"What are they going to do now? Ozpin was their guide, right?" asked Ruby.

"If they have a map, it… well, it will help," said Qrow.

 **Jaune sniffled himself, but he ultimately held back his tears.**

" _ **Lead them on, Jaune…"**_

" **Did you foresee this…?" Jaune asked himself.**

"A good question, given my counterparts view of going through the mine," said Ozpin.

"More secrets… What a surprise," scoffed Raven.

Ruby looked between Raven and Ozpin, and made a mental note as she thought about how seriously the adults were taking this universe.

" **Blake… get them up," Jaune sighed as he turned to Blake.**

 **Blake, who had a numb expression from the events on the bridge, appeared stunned by the command, but moved to Sun and Neptune regardless.**

" **Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" shouted Pyrrha in outrage.**

" **We cannot stay here!" retorted Jaune, "By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with orcs!"**

 **Pyrrha grit her teeth together, and looked away.**

"He's right. Their enemy is still close, and they need to put as much distance between them as humanly possible," said Ironwood.

"That's sad… But it makes sense," said Ruby.

" **We must make for the woods of Lothlorien," announced Jaune, "Blake, Ironwood, Pyrrha, get them up."**

 **Jaune made his way to Yang, and picked her up.**

" **On your feet, Yang," said Jaune, in a tone of both command, and consolation.**

 **He turned around as Yang wiped her face, and looked for the most important hobbit in the group.**

" **Ruby? Ruby!" he shouted when he spotted her.**

 **She was in the distance, and Jaune went after her. When he approached, he saw that she was crying. He knelt down to her level, and put his hands on her shoulders.**

"Oz and Ruby must have been good friends," said Qrow.

"Ozpin was always fond of the hobbits in this universe. He and Tai Yang and Ruby are very good friends," said Archie.

"I guess that makes sense," said Tai.

"… **I know how you feel, Ruby. I have lost those closest to me as well because of my ancestry, of who I am," he began softly, "But we must keep moving forward. We cannot let Ozpin's sacrifice be in vain. Do you understand?"**

 **Ruby's head hung down.**

"… **Yes. I understand," she sniffled.**

 **Jaune nodded, and clapped a hand gently on her shoulder.**

" **Then let us be off," said Jaune.**

"That's sad…" said Penny.

"That's how missions go sometimes, I fear," said Winter.

 **A/N: Most of this chapter was pieced together from memory, though I did look up some clips to clarify some things.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Gandalf's ring isn't actually seen in the movie. I just wanted to show that he has one of the Elven Rings of Power.**

 **Ozpin's description for Moria comes from the Song of Durin.**

 **To give an idea of how badass balrogs are, in the Siege/Fall of Gondolin in the** _ **Silmarillion**_ **, balrogs rode on the backs of dragons. Sweet…**

…

 **Preview: Lady's Favor**


	29. LOTR-FOR: Lady's Favor

**Well, I finished this faster than I thought. The "Fellowship of The Ring" is almost done, then a vignette chapter before "The Two Towers."**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 29 – Lady's Favor**

 **Jaune led the fellowship through the woods, and looked about. They had entered Lothlorien a short time ago, and he knew they would run into the guard of the kingdom. It was only a matter of time.**

" **Stay close young hobbits!" whispered Ironwood.**

 **Well, he whispered for a dwarf, which was not very quiet. Jaune looked over his shoulder, and saw Ironwood usher the halflings to his side.**

" **They say a great sorceress lives in these woods. An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell, and are never seen again," whispered Ironwood.**

"An elf witch?" asked Blake.

"I guess not all elves are nice," said Yang.

"Do you think she eats people?" asked Nora.

"Why would you think that?" asked Ren.

"There's a bunch of stories about witches eating people," said Nora.

"…True," now that Ren thought about it.

 **Jaune was about to roll his eyes, but he noticed Ruby stop in her tracks. She looked about as though she had heard something, but his own ears did pick up anything.**

" **Blake… are we being tracked?" whispered Jaune, so as not to alarm the others unnecessarily.**

"… **We are being watched, but I know not from where," she replied.**

" **Get ready…" whispered Jaune.**

 **Blake pulled out her bow slowly.**

"Jaune usually has good hearing in this universe. How come my counterpart could hear, but not him?" wondered Ruby aloud.

"Maybe he's got a lot on his mind leading the group, so he's not as focused," suggested Penny.

"I guess," said Ruby.

" **Well, here's one dwarf she ensnare so easily," chuckled Ironwood, "I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox – OH!"**

 **Jaune saw the dwarf walk into a drawn bow from an elf that appeared from behind of tree. Jaune turned around and saw two archers had trained their bows on him, and Blake as well, whose quick reflexes made her draw her bow. Though she did stop when she saw that they were targeted by elves.**

" **The dwarf breathed so loud we could have shot him in the dark," said an elven woman.**

 **She wore a silver-grey mantle, and had tan skin with dark freckles. She had long auburn hair, and blue-grey eyes.**

"Well, I guess I'm in this too," said Ilia as she stared wide-eyed.

"Sweet look. Silver compliments your features nicely, especially with your hair down," said Coco.

"Oh… Thanks," said Ilia with a flush to her cheeks.

" _ **Greetings, Ilia,"**_ **bowed Jaune as he spoke in Elven with a hand over his heart,** _ **"We come here seeking aid."**_

 **The elf, Ilia, looked toward the fellowship, and zeroed in on Ruby.**

" **You bring great evil here…" Ilia intoned.**

"Can she sense the ring?" asked Emerald.

"Unlikely," scoffed Cinder, "That council probably sent messages declaring the 'quest' to other kingdoms somehow."

 **Jaune clenched his fist a little, but kept his temper in check. Ilia looked back to Jaune, her expression less intense.**

" **Follow me," she said.**

 **Ilia led them through the forests, and after some time, Jaune noticed that Ruby had inched toward him.**

" **Is something wrong?" he asked her.**

" **I heard something in the woods," said Ruby.**

" **What was it?" Jaune asked.**

" **A woman's voice… and I got a vision of green eyes," said Ruby.**

"It's the witch! She found me, and wants to eat me!" cried Ruby.

"Ruby, you're surrounded by a small army of elves," pointed out Weiss.

"Not to mention you have seven people who won't let anything bad happen. Your counterpart will be fine," said Pyrrha.

"That's good, I guess," said Ruby.

"What if the elves are working for the witch?" asked Mercury off-handedly.

Ruby went white in the face, as the rest of Team RWBY shot him a glare.

"What? It's a fair question," grumbled Mercury.

" **Green eyes…? Oh, I see," said Jaune.**

" **Do you know what it means?" asked Ruby.**

" **It means we're here," said Jaune.**

 **Ilia stopped and stood proudly at the head of the hill they were led to. Alone among the sea of green trees, were mighty Mallorn trees with golden-silver leaves.**

" **Caras Galadhon," Ilia declared, "The heart of Elvendom on earth, and the realm of Glynda, Lady of Light."**

"Lady of Light?" asked Glynda.

"That makes you a noblewoman. Quite fitting," complimented Ironwood.

"But if it's the realm of Miss Goodwitch, wouldn't that make her a queen, technically?" asked Ruby.

"A fair question…" mused Glynda, slightly intrigued at the prospect.

"Hang on," interrupted Weiss, "Glynda Good- _witch_ …"

Everyone looked to Glynda.

"So… I guess we know _witch_ of us is the elven witch. Am I right?" said Yang.

"UGH!" groaned everyone, even Cinder's group and Raven.

"Miss Xiao Long… Please," Glynda sighed Glynda as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Well, to be fair, Goodwitch will eat you alive if you aren't careful," said Coco.

"Keep talking, Miss Adel. I'm sure Archie could put you and Miss Xiao Long in a bubble to serve as an impromptu detention, if I asked nicely," warned Glynda.

 **They were led even closer to the forest, and saw that there was an entire city built around the trees. The mighty mallorns resembled beech trees, though they were as large and wide as towers, and there were spiraling staircases built into the trunks that led to the canopies of silver and gold leaves. Streets that winded around the roots ran through the soil like stone rivers. There were even houses built into the roots, though there were no signs of nails of cuttings.**

"Talk about eco-friendly construction," said Velvet.

"This place is an environmentalist's dream," added Coco.

"The houses almost look like they were grown into roots. In fact every building looks as though it grew from the trees themselves," commented Ghira in wonder.

"I gotta say, it's beautiful. It makes Forever Fall look like something in a gardening catalogue," said Emerald.

"It's just more trees," scoffed Mercury.

"Well, I didn't ask your opinion," sighed Emerald.

 **The fellowship was led up one of the staircases.**

" **Is this ivory?" asked Pyrrha as her hand graced the staircase for a moment.**

" **No, it's wood," said Jaune.**

" **Really?" asked Pyrrha.**

" **I spent some time here in my youth. Lord Nicholas' wife is from these lands, and he would take me to see the Mallorn trees in the spring. It's a sight to behold; the leaves fall at that time to make way for the new flowers, so it seems as though you're walking through a rain of gold and silver," said Jaune.**

Almost everyone swooned at the mental image.

"That sounds amazing," said Penny, "I can feel excitement welling up inside me just thinking about it."

"That would be amazing," agreed Pyrrha.

"Wow… If only such a wonder existed in our world. It would be so romantic," sighed Kali as she leaned against Ghira.

"It would be," agreed Ghira as he wrapped an arm around his wife.

"It'd be nice if the leaves were actual gold, or silver," said Raven, "Then again, being caught in raining metal would not be good."

" **The tree feels alive…" said Ruby as she touched it, "There's something like a heartbeat coming from it."**

" **The mallorns are sacred trees to the elves, and can only grow in certain places. In fact, such is their rarity and magnificence that not even the Ship-King of Numenor, Tar-Aldarion, would not dare cut the mallorn forests of Numenor for his navy," said Jaune.**

"So the trees have a symbolic importance to them. It makes sense given the stature and beauty emanating from their mere appearance," said Ozpin.

"I must admit, I too would be hard pressed to use the wood for a naval vessel as well," said Ironwood, "While it would certainly look to be a fine material, it feels as though it would be loss to cut such a specimen down."

"A 'loss?" said Glynda, "I would take the elven stance and say 'sacrilege."

 **They higher they climbed, the lower the sun set. As it darkened, crystals embedded in the stairs began to glow, and in the canopies, a bright pale blue light illuminated the whole of the forest.**

"It just gets prettier, and prettier," said Ruby.

"I can't tell which one is cooler. The dwarf city, or this one," said Sun.

"They're both beautiful in their own way," said Blake.

"I must admit, seeing the two previous locations makes me all the more curious to see what humans have built up in comparison," said Ren.

"Maybe we'll see one very soon," said Nora.

 **At the top, they arrived at a palace that looked as though it had been grown literally from the branches. There, they stood before a staircase that led upward toward a dais, and were greeted by a herald.**

" **The Lady of Light, Glynda of Lothlorien!" he announced.**

 **A door at the top of the dais opened, and a soft light filled the greeting area. The light got closer, and dimmer with each step, and when it arrived before them, the light had revealed a woman. She was in a white gown with a silver crown. Her long platinum blonde hair reached down to her thighs, and she had an expression of pure serenity. She opened her eyes fully, and all of them saw pools of green, ancient and endless, stare at them with a piercing glance.**

"Wow, looking good Miss Goodwitch," said Yang.

"The radiant light was a little over the top. You'd think I was an angel from the heavens," said Glynda slightly uncomfortable.

Ironwood silently agreed to Glynda's latter words.

"I know, right?" agreed Weiss in response, "Though I must admit, your entrance seemed much more extravagant than mine given the setting."

 **Jaune and Blake bowed in deference.**

" **Our scouts say that the enemy knows that you have entered here," began Ilia off to the side, "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone."**

 **Jaune and the others winced.**

" **If I may, Lady Ilia," began the herald, "Eight there are here, yet nine there were that set out from Rivendell… Tell us, where is Ozpin, for our lady has much desire to speak with him."**

"Uh-oh. What are they going to say?" asked Ruby.

"The only thing they can say, Miss Rose. The truth," said Ozpin.

 **Glynda's eyes suddenly looked into Jaune's, and her eyes widened.**

" **Ozpin the Grey did not pass the borders of these lands," said Glynda as though in a trance, "He has fallen into shadow…"**

 **Jaune simply nodded in ascent to Glynda's words.**

"She knew before he said anything? Well, then again, given what this universe has going for it, that can only mean one thing," said Ilia.

"Witchcraft!" accused Nora.

"Magic," corrected Glynda, and Ilia at the same time.

" **He was taken by both shadow and flame; A balrog of Morgoth." elaborated Blake.**

 **That got the attention of all the elves present. All the elves present broke out into whispers, and Ilia and Glynda had shocked expressions on their faces.**

" **For we went needlessly into the net of Moria," said Blake.**

 **Ironwood looked at the floor guiltily.**

" **Needless, were none of the deeds of Ozpin in life," began Glynda, which silenced all whispers, "We do not yet know his full purpose."**

Ozpin would have flinched, if not for his fine control over his reaction. He committed many needless mistakes in his conflict with Salem, and his own compatriots did not yet know the full truth. About the nature of his conflict with Salem, or the disheartening answer her received from Jinn. Even if the meaning the alternate Glynda had was different, her words caused internal turmoil within him.

 **Jaune found some comfort in Glynda's words, and he saw the Lady of Lorien turn to Ironwood.**

" **Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad'dum fill your heart, Ironwood of Erebor," said Glynda comfortingly, "For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief."**

 **Jaune saw the tension ease from Ironwood's shoulders, and the dwarf appeared genuinely touched. Jaund then saw Glynda turn to Pyrrha, who started to shudder under her gaze.**

" **If I may, my lady, what now becomes of this fellowship? Without Ozpin, hope is lost…" lamented the herald.**

" **The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail to the ruin of all…" declared Glynda forebodingly, "…Yet, hope remains, while the company is true."**

 **That gave Jaune and the others hope.**

" **Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now, and rest, for you are weary with sorrow, and much toil," said Glynda a calm smile, "Tonight, you will sleep in peace."**

 **Jaune bowed to the lady, and turned to see Ilia make a gesture to follow. He turned to companions, and saw a wide-eyed Ruby stare a little longer at the smiling Lady Glynda.**

" **Ruby," said Jaune.**

 **The hobbit turned to him.**

" **Come. Let us go to rest," said Jaune.**

 **Ruby moved to his side, and they followed Ilia.**

" **It was her, in the forest," whispered Ruby, "She spoke to me somehow."**

"Spoke to her… Like with telepathy, perhaps?" asked Winter.

"That would explain Ruby's actions in the forest," said Pyrrha, as she remembered the behavior of Ruby's counterpart, "Ruby heard Miss Goodwitch's voice, though Jaune couldn't hear it. I wonder if that was why my counterpart shuddered when Miss Goodwitch looked at her."

"Miss Goodwitch's glares are terrifying enough. If you added talking with her mind to the mix, that would make anyone crap their pants," said Coco.

"Why did I agree to pass you last year?" sighed Glynda.

" **Lady Glynda is powerful, and has many talents. Do not worry though, Ruby. We are under her protection," said Jaune.**

" **If you say so…" whispered Ruby.**

 **The scene shifted to the base of the trees. Jaune sharpened his blade at their resting area, and though they were beneath the roots of the trees in the outside, the air was as warm as was the earth. They were covered by a tent of fine silk given to them by the elves to serve as a roof. It was so comfortable, in fact, Ironwood was already snoring softly, and Blake had returned from changing into a silk tunic and trousers.**

"Who'd have thought that a ground near a tree could look so comfy," said Nora.

"Won't it stain your clothes?" asked Coco, uncomfortable at the prospect.

"I'd be more concerned with the smell of grass," said Weiss with a wrinkled nose.

"Or dirt in the hair," added Ilia.

"Well they have their sleeping bags out anyway, so it's all good," said Sun.

 **In the air was the sounds of a song full of sadness, and chants of mourning.**

" **A lament for Ozpin," said Blake, who noticed Yang look about the air.**

" **What do they say about him?" asked Neptune.**

" **I have not the heart to tell you," said Blake sorrowfully, "For me, the grief is still too near."**

"Guess you were a really big deal in this world," said Qrow.

"So it appears," said Ozpin, 'Just as I was all those millennia ago,' he thought.

 **Jaune simply sharpened his blade again, and looked at the edge.**

" **I bet they don't mention his fireworks. There should be a verse about them…" said Yang, as she unrolled her sleeping bag.**

"Fireworks?" questioned Ozpin.

 **Yang suddenly stood up, and cleared her throat.**

" **The finest rockets ever seen! They burst in stars of blue and green, where after thunder, silver showers…" Yang paused.**

" **Snnrrr…" snored Ironwood.**

"Well that's rude," said Yang.

"Quite," added Ozpin.

"I don't snore," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune turned to the dwarf, and knocked his fist against his head.**

"Hey!" shouted Ironwood as Qrow and Raven chuckled.

"To be fair, Miss Xiao Long was in the middle of memorializing their lost companion," said Glynda with an amused smile.

"It's not like I did that on purpose!" said Ironwood.

"That must be some really comfy moss," said Tai Yang with a laugh.

"… **Um, came falling like a rain of flowers," finished Yang before she scoffed, "Oh, that doesn't do them justice."**

" **I thought it was a fine addition," said Blake.**

" **Eh?" asked Yang.**

"It was?" asked Yang.

"It wasn't that bad… Better than your puns, in any case," said Blake.

"Aww, thanks partner," said Yang.

" **Tell me, how do hobbits see Ozpin?" asked Blake.**

" **W-Well, he's just Ozpin. The wizard who comes by once a year to put on a firework show," said Yang.**

" **Yeah," said Neptune, "Everyone who can make it goes to wherever Ozpin sets up, usually Mr. Tai Yang's parties. The children especially love it…"**

" **The wiz-poppers, the phoenix-flyers, the sparklers that turn into butterflies," listed off Sun nostalgically, "He always had a smile when we watched."**

"I suppose I use my magic to enchant the fireworks in this universe," said Ozpin.

"Ohh, I want to see them," said Ruby.

"I do to. It sounds so, well, magical," added Penny.

" **Among us, Ozpin is known only as a wise man, and a warrior against the darkness," began Blake, "They are the roles he carried with him when he was sent to Middle Earth. It was a joyless task that weighed heavily on his heart, but it is good to know he had those moments where he could find respite. On behalf of my people to yours, thank you for giving him the opportunity to find joy in his life. I shall remember that part of him as well."**

Ozpin was touched by the apparent impact his alternate self had on the lives of others. However, he was also quite envious of his counterpart as well.

'How long since I had the time to rest from my task…?' he thought with sad and bitter frown.

The short answer was none, and if he did rest, it was to drink his sorrows away in despair.

"Perhaps I need a hobby…" Ozpin whispered to himself.

Productive distraction may do him some good.

" **Oh… Um, you're welcome," said Yang.**

 **Jaune smiled at the interaction, and turned about to see Pyrrha off to the corner. He sheathed his sword, and got up to move toward her.**

" **Take some rest," said Jaune as he moved toward her, "These borders are well protected."**

" **I will find no rest here," said Pyrrha in a shaken voice.**

 **Jaune turned to her in confusion.**

"… **I heard her voice inside my head," she elaborated, "She spoke of my liege lord, and the fall of Gondor."**

"So when my counterpart shuddered under her gaze, Miss Goodwitch must have been speaking to her through the mind," said Pyrrha.

"Perhaps my own counterpart somehow received a vision, and told yours," said Glynda, "It appears Mr. Arc was correct in my possession of multiple talents."

"Seeing the future does sound pretty cool," said Emerald.

"More like confusing," scoffed Cinder, "Seeing something unappealing can cause doubt and derail someone's pursuit of their goal after all."

"And tell me, Miss Fall. What is your goal?" asked Ozpin.

"A lady never tells, old man," responded Cinder.

Ozpin frowned, but did not press further.

 **Jaune gasped at that part, and moved to her side.**

" **She said to me: Even now, there is hope left," said Pyrrha, "But I cannot see it. It's been too long since we had any hope…"**

 **Jaune took a seat next to her, and waited for Pyrrha to speak.**

"… **Steward Lionheart is a noble man, but his rule is failing and our… our people lose faith," Pyrrha said in a shakey voice, "He looks to me, and others to make things right, and I – I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored."**

"Steward Lionheart…? Is Headmaster Leonardo in this?" asked Pyrrha.

Cinder, and her compatriots, cocked their eyebrows at that.

"Who's that?" asked Velvet.

"Leonardo Lionheart is the headmaster of Haven Academy. He approached me numerous times to gauge my interest in enrolling at Haven," said Pyrrha.

"He's also the first faunus headmaster of an academy!" crowed Sun proudly.

"That's right. All of Menagerie broke out in celebration when it appeared in the papers," said Ghira.

Cinder tittered.

"What's with you?" asked Qrow.

"…Nothing," said Cinder knowingly.

 **Jaune looked away in thought.**

" **Have you seen it, Jaune? The White Tower of Ecthelion?" asked Pyrrha suddenly.**

 **Jaune turned to her.**

" **Glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver," she continued wistfully, "Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by clear ringing of silver trumpets?"**

"Well, not the visual of a kingdom of humans that I wanted, but it'll do," said Ren.

"It does sound pretty cool, but one building is hardly exciting," said Nora.

 **Jaune closed his eyes, an image of what she described, and smile formed.**

" **I have seen the White City, long ago," said Jaune as he opened his eyes and looked into Pyrrha's.**

" **One day, our paths will bring us there. And the tower guard shall take up the call: The children of Gondor have returned!" she declared confidently.**

 **Jaune smiled at that. However, as soon as Pyrrha looked away, Jaune bore an uncertain expression as he touched Weiss' necklace.**

"Torn between duty, and love. How romantic," teased Coco.

"Yeah…" said Blake, Kali, and-

"Weiss?" asked Winter, and Weiss' teammates.

"Emerald?" asked Mercury and Cinder, as well.

The two girls realized they agreed along with Kali, and Blake.

"Um… M-My counterpart clearly wants this. I-It is only proper for me to root for her cause," stammered Weiss.

"Um… I thought of something… Funny," stammered out Emerald.

"Right…" said Coco.

 **Ruby jolted awake, and looked about the area. Everyone was asleep, and the song for Ozpin had stopped. Just as she was about to go back to sleep, she saw that Lady Glynda walked past their sleeping area. She got up, and followed quietly so that she didn't wake the others.**

"Shouldn't she be sleeping too?" asked Ruby, "Miss - Lady Glynda, I mean."

"I would the say the same of you, Miss Rose," answered Glynda.

 **Ruby followed Lady Glynda down a series of stone stairs that led to ta clearing with a large stone pedestal with a metal basin in the middle, and fountain off to the side. She saw the woman look over her shoulder slightly before she continued on her way to the fountain. Ruby saw her fill a silver pitcher, and then turn around to face her.**

" **Will you look into the mirror?" asked Glynda.**

" **What will I see?" asked Ruby.**

" **Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things," said Glynda with a smile.**

 **Glynda approached the basin, and filled it with the water.**

" **Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass," she declared.**

"A mirror that looks to the past, present, _and_ future?" gasped Ozpin.

"Is something the matter, sir?" asked Glynda.

Ozpin realized that he had spoken too loudly, and everyone looked at him.

"I… It's nothing," said Ozpin, "Just that that power seems incredible, and dangerous," said Ozpin.

"Right…" drawled out Raven, 'I've never seen Ozpin so flustered. Has that strange mirror upset him somehow? How curious,' she thought.

'To think Glynda commands an artifact that can surpass Jinn,' thought Ozpin.

 **Ruby saw Glynda gesture to the basin, and Ruby approached. She looked into the water, and saw her reflection. She looked back to Glynda, who simply looked into the water. Ruby looked down again, and her reflection gave way to a ripple. She saw Blake and Ironwood look at her with darkened expressions, then Yang, Sun, and Neptune with distraught looks on their faces. Then she saw Jaune and Pyrrha arguing…**

"Why are me, and Jaune arguing?" gasped Pyrrha.

"Your counterpart wanted the ring earlier, didn't she? Maybe she still wants it," said Emerald.

Pyrrha felt her gut squirm at the thought.

 **The sight of her friends and companions then gave way to the sight of the Shire. She saw a hobbit tending to their garden in front of a hobbit hole…**

"An underground house? Are hobbits like dwarves?" asked Penny.

"Nah… Dwarves live under mountains. That's just a hill," said Nora.

"It almost looks like a cottage in the country," said Velvet.

"Reminds me of Patch," said Tai Yang.

 **She saw the Green Dragon Pub, with other hobbits living their lives…**

 **She then saw the pub aflame, with orcs roaming about with torches. A hobbit raised a hand in mercy only to be stabbed with a spear by a crazed orc.**

Ruby, and most of the others, gasped at that.

"That's pretty gnarly," said Mercury.

"More like sick," muttered Emerald.

 **Ruby gasped, and shuttered, and tried to look away, but couldn't.**

 **She saw her people in chains being whipped as they were led to factories. The rivers and streams of the shire were now filled with sludge from factories, and the green fields and little forests were torn and burned – The image rippled, and the Eye of Sauron filled the basin. It was at that moment that Ruby noticed that the ring had slipped from her shirt, and dangled by the necklace she wore it on.**

" _ **I SEE YOU!" roared the eye from within the mirror.**_

The entire audience reeled back in shock at the intensity of the voice. It was much louder than the last time the eye appeared, and the noise from the screen sent shockwaves down to their bones. They felt a fear grip their hearts. Cinder and Ozpin especially shook in nervousness.

 **Ruby grabbed the ring, and pulled herself back. She stumbled and fell onto her back, and saw that steam had risen from the mirror.**

"Whoa… Talk about intense," laughed Yang nervously.

"Steam's rising from the water. That must have been an intense vision," said Blake.

"The closer The One Ring gets to Mordor, the more potent it's will, and powers of manipulation and deceit become," explained Archie.

"That's scary…" shuddered Ruby, "I hope my counterpart is okay."

" **I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind," said Glynda as Ruby got up.**

" _ **It is what shall come to pass, if you should fail,"**_ **said Glynda telepathically.**

"Hmm… Miss Adel's earlier assessment is quite correct. Such dire words combined with your sharp expressions are an imposing sight," said Ozpin.

"Right?" declared Coco.

"Please don't encourage her," said Glynda.

 **Ruby shuddered.**

" _ **The fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. She will try to take the ring. You know of whom I speak. One by one, it will destroy them all,"**_ **warned Glynda through her mind.**

"If the ring is getting stronger, than it must be working on the others, and they don't even know it," said Tai Yang.

"If the vision of Nikos fighting with Arc was any indicator, they might wind up killing each other before they even get to where they're going," said Emerald.

" _ **If you ask it of me, I will give you the one ring,"**_ **thought Ruby as she offered the ring.**

 **Glynda gasped, a look of interest on her face.**

" **You offer it to me freely?" she questioned.**

"Oh no! Is my counterpart giving up?" asked Ruby, alarmed.

"More like she's freaking out about how things are going. I've seen people get emotional and irrational in the Fang when a mission goes south," said Ilia.

"I remember. It can be pretty shocking to see how people react to a failed," said Blake.

"Quite…" grumbled Winter and Ironwood with flat expessions.

'Oh, that's right, those missions had us on opposing sides,' thought Blake as she blinked sheepishly.

 **She approached Ruby with the same expression, and outstretched hand Pyrrha had in the Council of Nicholas.**

" **I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this…" she whispered to no one in particular.**

"Is that ring trying to tempt my counterpart?" Glynda gasped.

"Looks like humans aren't the only ones who would want it bad," said Mercury.

 **Ruby gulped and took a step back, but Glynda reacted.**

" **In place of a Dark Dame, you would have a** _ **QUEEN!"**_ **she roared as her fea erupted from within her. Ruby saw Glynda not in robes now, but with a silver cuirass and clothes suited for riding and war,** _ **"NOT DARK, BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA! STRONGER THAN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH!"**_

 **Gone was the aura of gentle light that Lady Glynda naturally exuded. Her light had darkened, and coiled. It was now obscured as the sun in a thunderstorm.**

"Holy shit!" gasped Coco, and Qrow.

Glynda did not correct Coco. She was too shocked by seeing her alternate self being swayed by such a tempting object. She looked as though she were some monster on a warpath, and her heart fell at the sight of her soul falling.

" _ **ALL WILL LOVE ME, AND DESPAIR!"**_ **Lady Glyda cried in a distorted voice as the darkened eyes looked at Ruby's.**

 **Yet, almost as quickly as it began, the turbulent storm ended, and the light returned to Glynda, who now returned to her normal appearance. She trembled, and gasped before she took a step back away from Ruby.**

"… **I pass the test," gasped Glynda in relief, "I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Glynda, Lady of Light."**

"It appears you resisted Glynda," said Ozpin.

"It's good to see that you still have indomitable strength throughout these universes," said Ironwood.

"I am relieved as well. Thank you James, Ozpin," sighed Glynda in relief.

 **She turned away from the ring, and Ruby closed her offered hand. Ruby let her clenched fist hang, as a despondent look appeared on her face.**

" **I cannot do this alone," said Ruby sadly.**

 **Glynda turned to Ruby, a stern expression on her face.**

" **You are a Ring Bearer, Ruby. To bear a ring of power, is to be alone," said Glynda.**

"She's such a ray of sunshine in this universe too," muttered Qrow.

Glynda tossed a half-full diet soda can she was drinking from at Qrow, and made him squawk.

 **She presented her hand, and her ring finger revealed a ring of mithril with a diamond set in a mithril flower.**

" **This is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and I am its keeper," Glynda declared, "This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will."**

 **Ruby looked down.**

" **Then I know what I must do, but it's just… I'm afraid to do it," said Ruby.**

 **Glynda's stern expression gave way to a motherly smile, and the elf approached the hobbit and leaned down.**

" **Even the smallest person can change the course of the future," said Glynda comfortingly.**

 **Ruby looked up, and nodded to Glynda.**

"I wonder what my counterpart is thinking of doing?" asked Ruby.

"Given how much it weighs on her conscience, something big," said Weiss.

"Or drastic," said Ren.

"The pressure and expectation she must have on her shoulders, I can sympathize," said Pyrrha sympathetically.

 **The scene shifted to Isengard at dawn's first light. The tower surrounded by a ring of stone wall stood bare of trees and life, as the smoke of underground fires rose from the ground from the openings that led to the new underground caverns.**

"It's the tower Ozpin was beaten in," said Tai.

"Looks like we will be seeing one of the agents of… _their_ enemy at work," said Ozpin.

"Let's see what you're up to, Watts," whispered Cinder.

 **The ringing of pick axes and blacksmith hammers drowned out all other noise in Isengard, but in the tower itself, Arthur the White inspected his creation in total silence. A tall figure, erect in gait, with elven ears, jagged teeth, purple skin, black hair, golden eyes, and a loin cloth stood before him.**

"What is that?" gasped Winter.

"Is that an orc? It doesn't look as messed up as all goblins we just saw, or the creeps from that first battle," said Nora.

"My counterpart mentioned that Arthur was experimenting with orcs at Lord Nicholas' domain," said Ozpin.

"Then this is his creation…" said Penny, with a mix of fear and awe.

" **Do you know how the orc first came into being?" Arthur asked as he began to inspect.**

"…" **the creature did not respond.**

" **They were elves once," said Arthur, who started to circle the creature.**

" **Grrr…" the creature growled.**

"They were elves?" gasped Blake, Ilia, and Weiss.

"It explains the ears if nothing else," said Ghira.

"… **Taken by the dark powers. Tortured, and mutilated," continued Arthur.**

"That's a hell of an understatement, if what we saw of the bad guy's minions was any indicator," said Kali.

Everyone reflected on the words, and now that they thought about it, the goblins and orcs always seemed to hobble as they moved, and looked as though there in a state of perpetual pain and agony.

"How terrible," gasped Ruby.

'Just like the tale of the two brothers,' thought Ozpin.

Darkness, it seemed, will always try to subvert the light in any universe.

" **A ruined, and terrible form of life, but now…** _ **perfected**_ **," finished Arthur as he completed his circle, "My fighting Uruk-hai."**

 **The creature stood straighter, with pride.**

" **Whom do you serve?" asked Arthur.**

" **The White Wizard!" declared the creature with a gravelly, distorted voice.**

" **Quartermaster," began Arthur.**

 **A hobbled and limping orc walked into the room.**

" **My lord?" it asked in a sniveling voice.**

"It appears as though this 'Uruk-hai' is indeed an improvement, if its gait and speech are any indicator," said Penny.

"Perhaps, but it appears no less savage and dangerous," said Winter.

"I think it's a fine specimen," said Cinder, 'You've outdone yourself, for once, Arthur,' thought Cinder.

" **Get them outfitted, I want our new captain, and his hunting party, to be ready to march within the hour," said Arthur.**

" **Yes, my lord," said the orc.**

 **The orc reached for the uruk-hai to lead it to the armory, but the uruk simply growled and pulled its hand away. The orc stumbled in fright, and Arthur could not help but smile.**

"Looks like the hunt is about to begin anew," said Ozpin.

"Those creatures will pose a tougher challenge, I'm sure," said Raven.

"Jaune and the others can handle it," said Pyrrha.

"We'll see," said Cinder.

 **The scene returned to Lothlorien, where Jaune, and the rest of the fellowship stood before the elves and Lady Glynda. The elves came forward with grey mantles with emerald leaf-brooches, and cloaked the fellowship with them.**

" **Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes," said Ilia to the side.**

 **Jaune and the others bowed in thanks. As Jaune rose from his bow, Galadriel approached along with some attendants.**

" **Lady Nikos," began Glynda, "I gift to you a belt of Elven make. May you wear it as a sign of the continued friendship of Men and Elf."**

 **Pyrrha was presented a golden belt by one of the attendants. It had a leaf buckle and the belt itself was like golden vines that twisted and coiled.**

"Nice belt. It goes well with your outfit's brown and red," said Coco.

"Maybe, but I prefer bronze. Less to worry about," said Pyrrha.

"That's fair," shrugged Coco.

 **Pyrrha bowed in reverence, and took the offered belt. As Pyrrha was escorted away, Glynda then moved to Blake.**

" **My gift for you, Blake, is a bow of the Galadhrim. Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin," said Glynda.**

 **Blake was presented the weapon by another of the attendants, and marveled at her new bow. It was longer and stouter than the one she carried, and the bowstring was as soft as fine hair. Glynda smiled at how the normally stoic elf lit up like a child as she held her new weapon.**

"So… for Gambol Shroud's improvement, I was thinking-" began Ruby.

"Ruby, we said we'd talk about it later," said Blake.

"Nuh-uh! _You_ said we'd talk about it later, and there is some prime inspiration right in front of us!" corrected Ruby.

"Ruby, let your friend improve her weapon on her own time," said Tai Yang.

"I will not be denied!" objected Ruby.

"Ruby…" warned Tai.

"…Yes, dad," said Ruby with a pout.

Blake sighed in relief, but promised herself to make it up to Ruby.

 **Glynda moved from Blake, who too was escorted away, to Sun and Neptune.**

" **These are the daggers of Anoldorin," she said as her attendants gave the two hobbits each a dagger holstered to coiled silver belts.**

 **The two received the daggers graciously, and Neptune drew his out with wonder, while Sun looked a little nervously at it.**

" **They have already seen service in war. Do not fear, young Sun Wukong, you will find your courage," reassured Glynda.**

"Hmm… Maybe I should get a knife as a backup weapon," said Sun.

"You might want to avoid the silver belt though. Pretty as it is, it practically screams 'important item over here!' That's my opinion, at least," said Velvet.

"Silver's not my thing, anyway," said Sun with a shrug.

 **She then turned to Yang, and presented her with a coil of rope.**

" **And for you, Yang of the Shire, elven rope made from hithlain," said Glynda.**

"A rope? That's a lame gift," said Yang.

"Speaking from experience, a rope is a good gift to have while in the wilderness," said Ilia.

"True. You never know when you'll need a cord. Holding together an impromptu shelter, bundling collected firewood, not to mention it can be a great harness or anchor in certain situations," said Winter.

"Huh…" said Yang, impressed with the reasoning of the two.

" **Thank you, my lady…" said Yang a little nervously as she received it, but looked at Sun and Neptune, "Um, not be rude, but have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?"**

 **Jaune winced a little, as Glynda gave an amused smile.**

"That was a little rude," snorted Yang with a laugh.

"And you aren't rude from time to time?" asked Weiss.

"I am well behaved, thank you very much. It's not my fault people misunderstand my charms from time to time," shrugged Yang.

"Charms? Is that what we're calling it now?" asked Tai.

"Yep!" chirped Yang happily

 **Yang just took the rope and bowed. However, the surprise that occurred next made Jaune and Galadriel forget Yang's earlier question: Ironwood stood there, as though waiting for a gift, but Jaune could not see any more attendants with gifts to bear. Yet there the dwarf was, standing head bowed with his hair undone, yet combed. Well, by dwarven standards, anyway.**

" **And what gift would a dwarf ask of the elves?" asked Glynda curiously.**

" **N-Nothing," said Ironwood shyly, "Except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time."**

Ironwood and Glynda choked, and gasped respectively.

 **Jaune's eyes widened as Ironwood made eye contact with Glynda.**

" **For she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth," sighed Ironwood.**

" **Ha-ha!" giggled Glynda with delight.**

"Aww… How sweet!" cooed Nora.

"Y-Yeah… sweet," mumbled Ironwood red-faced as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I-Indeed…" muttered Glynda, equally red, and as she played with her thumbs.

 **Ironwood looked down, red-faced, and grumbled in embarrassment. Jaune could not help but smile at the sight, along with the rest of the fellowship that were still present.**

" **Come now, Ironwood of Erebor. I cannot let you be the sole member of this fellowship to leave without some form of gift after such kind words. Is there anything within my power to give that you would like?" asked Glynda kindly.**

Glynda stared wide-eyed.

'D-Did she say anything…?' she dreaded in her mind.

 **Ironwood who had been about to storm off, stood still at the offer. He took a breath, and nervously faced Glynda.**

Ironwood stared wide-eyed.

'Don't say anything dumb, don't say anything dumb, don't say anything dumb…' Ironwood dreaded in his mind.

" **W-Well, there is one thing, uh… It's well, a, uh, strange request – Y-You don't have to give it, of course, b-but… you asked, s-so… err…" stammered Ironwood.**

 **As Glynda patiently waited, Jaune saw Ilia approach him, and gestured for him to follow her and he did.**

'Thank the gods…' both Glynda and Ironwood thought as embarrassment was narrowly avoided.

 **The two walked a short distance when Ilia turned to him.**

" **Lady Glynda will bestow you and the Ring Bearer a gift before you depart, but I must inform you of a report from our scouts," said Ilia.**

" **What is it?" asked Jaune.**

" **Every league you travel south, the danger will increase," said Ilia, "Mordor orcs now hold the eastern shores of the River Anduin, but will you find safety in the western bank. Strange creatures bearing the mark of a white hand have been seen on our borders. Seldom do orcs journey in the open under the sun, yet these have done so."**

 **Ilia stopped, and Jaune saw her present a curved dagger.**

"Looks like a Bowie Knife," said Ruby.

"Orcs with a white hand… Could she mean Arthur's creations?" said Ozpin after some pondering.

"Considering what's hunting them, that knife will be helpful," said Raven.

 **Jaune took it, and drew it out for inspection. It was made of mithril, and had etchings of vines, and elvish insciptions.**

" _ **You are being tracked,"**_ **said Ilia in Elven.**

 **Jaune put away the dagger, and held to the side to set to his belt in a moment.**

" **By river, you have a chance of outrunning the enemy to Falls of Rauros," said Ilia.**

" **Thank you, my friend," said Jaune as he held out a hand.**

 **Ilia, and Jaune grasped one another's wrists and gave a firm shake.**

"I guess I'm a friend of his here too, like Blake," said Ilia.

"He must have made many friends among the elves under grandfather's tutelage," said Winter.

 **Jaune then moved to the boats where they were being loaded by the elves with food and supplies for the journey. There Ruby joined him, and the two watched the boats being loaded.**

" **Did you sleep well?" asked Jaune.**

" **Not as much as I would have liked," admitted Ruby.**

" **Well, we will travel by river for a time. You and the others should be able to rest your feet for now," said Jaune.**

" **They have been aching for some time," said Ruby.**

" **Jaune? Ruby?"**

 **The two turned to see Glynda approach. She first turned to Jaune.**

" **I have nothing greater to give, than the gift you already bear," said Glynda as she reached out and touched Weiss' necklace.**

" _ **For her love, I fear the grace of Weiss of Rivendell will diminish,"**_ **said Glynda in Elven.**

" _ **I would have her leave these shores, and be with her people. I would have her take the ship to Valinor rather than suffer the woes of mortality with me,"**_ **said Jaune.**

"That's my… her choice to make," said Weiss, "Even in other universes, there are people trying to make decisions for me."

"He cares about you… Err, her, I mean," defended Pyrrha.

"Then he should respect the decision she makes," said Weiss.

"It not only that he cares," cut in Archie, "There are moments where he wonders if he is truly worthy of your hand and heart."

"Sounds like my time with Summer," said Tai.

Raven shifted uncomfortably on her cushion.

"Sounds like my marriage too. All men wonder at times," confirmed Ghira.

"And good wives are sure to remind them not to doubt their worth," added Kali as she held her husband's hand.

Tai smiled, and Raven looked away.

" **That choice is yet before her," said Glynda before she looked him in the eye, "You have your own choice to make, Jaune: To rise above the height of all your fathers since the days of Elendil, or to fall into darkness with all that is left of your kin."**

 **Jaune nodded uneasily.**

" _ **Farewell,"**_ **said Glynda, in Elven.**

 **Jaune lowered his head in deference, then felt Glynda's finger on his chin.**

" _ **There is much you have yet to do,"**_ **said Glynda as she lifted his face to see her as she gave a knowing smile,** _ **"We shall not meet again, Elessar."**_

"Elessar…?" asked Pyrrha and Ruby.

"You shall see later on," said Archie.

 **She then took his hand, and placed a gem of green, as radiant as the sun in Jaune's hands.**

"Nice gem…" said Emerald with a slight drool.

"Looks like that would fetch a nice price," said Mercury.

"Is it always about money with you two?" asked Pyrrha with a frown.

"Nah, just her," shrugged Mercury, as pointed his thumb at Emerald.

 **Jaune gasped as Glynda gave him another knowing smile, but the Lady of Light then turned to Ruby before he could say anything.**

" **For you, Ruby. I give to you the Light of Earendil, our most beloved star," said Glynda as she gifted her a crystal phial with a clear liquid within, "May it be a light for you, in dark places, when all other lights go out."**

"A glass of water?" asked Qrow.

"Phial," corrected Glynda, "I'm sure it's important."

"Well, if nothing else, it looks real nice," said Ruby happily.

" **Thank you, Lady Glynda," bowed Ruby as she took the gift.**

 **Glynda leaned down, and kissed Ruby on the forehead.**

Ruby had a light blush on her cheeks, and Glynda's jaw fell open.

"Umm…" began Yang, "What was that?"

"An old fashioned way for highborn ladies to say farewell to women of their age and social group, Miss Xiao Long. Don't look too heavily into it," said Ozpin.

" **I shall tell you the words you need to light your way," she said.**

 **Jaune took that as his queue to leave, and went to the boats where the others boarded. Soon enough Ruby joined them, and they left the woods through an inlet that led to the main river. All they saw left of Lothlorien before leaving was Glynda raise a hand in blessing, and farewell.**

"Well, time to hit the road again," said Nora.

"Hopefully the journey will get better," said Pyrrha.

"They just need to escape their pursuers, and all should be well," said Ren.

 **The three boats were close together when Jaune heard Ironwood sigh.**

" **I have taken the worst wound of this parting, when I look my last on that which was fairest" sighed Ironwood, "Henceforth I will call nothing fair, lest it be her gift to me."**

"Oh… That's right, I got a gift," said Ironwood.

"How could you forget?" asked Glynda, a little flushed at the memory.

"After all that bumbling my counterpart did, I wanted to forget," said Ironwood.

"Yeah… You sounded like wreck," said Qrow.

"Thank you, Qrow," growled Ironwood.

" **What was her gift," asked Blake.**

" **I asked for a hair from her golden head… She gave me three," said Ironwood.**

Glynda blushed.

"Hair is a rather intimate token of affection," began Ozpin, as though he were giving a lesson in Beacon, "Normally a woman will snip a lock-"

"Ozpin?" said Glynda.

"Yes?" asked Ozpin.

"Please, stop," said Glynda with her head low, in blushed embarrassment.

Ironwood meanwhile had a slightly, stupidly happy expression, much like his dwarven counterpart.

 **Jaune blinked in surprise, and looked to Blake, who had a soft smile.**

" **Three?" mouthed Jaune silently.**

 **Blake merely smirked in response, and Jaune faced forward again as he rowed.**

' **A dwarf achieved what Lord Feanor could not. What would you have thought of that Ozpin…?' Jaune wondered in his head.**

 **A/N: I realized that I didn't give a casting reason for Cinder, but I figured I would give it when Ruby and Yang actually meet her in the universe. Also, Emerald's getting into the spirit of the Archive, and before anyone asks, I didn't kill off Celeborn for shipping purposes. I just didn't write him in, that's all. Now then, casting:**

 **Glynda: I picked Glynda for Galadriel for two reasons. First she fits the role like a glove, to me at least. The long blonde hair, and white gown fit the look with Glynda. Furthermore, like Galadriel, Glynda has a stern countenance, and frighteningly destructive powers as well. With her natural magic power, combined with her ring of power, Galadriel single handedly destroyed one of Sauron's fortresses in the War of the Ring. She used either telekinesis, or summoned a storm if you look up some artwork, to accomplish this feat. These powers fits Glynda's semblance, or dust use from the first RWBY episode, perfectly. Reason number two: I ship Glynda and Ironwood. Not sure how it would work in the books, since Galadriel is happily married to Lord Celeborn of Lothlorien, but Gimli is quite smitten with her.**

 **Ilia: I picked Ilia to play Haldir, and used her as a substitute for Lord Celeborn. I did this so that there could be some emotional attachment to the character.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **In the movie, Galadriel's husband Celeborn is with her to greet the fellowship, and only appears to present Aragorn with the dagger in the extended addition. He still gifts them the cloaks of Lothlorien in the theatrical and extended cuts of the movie. I didn't put him in this chapter because A) I didn't have a worthy stand in, and B) I ship Glynda and Ironwood.**

 **Galadriel's ring Nenya, has two titles: Ring of Adamant (Diamond) and Ring of Water.**

 **It isn't shown in the movie, but Boromir received a golden belt from Galadriel. When Faramir finds Boromir's Body on the River Anduin, he doesn't recognize it, but Frodo and Sam confirm it was a gift from Galadriel.**

 **In the book, Galadriel gave different gifts to Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Merry in Pippin did not get daggers from Galadriel, but rather, silver belts. Sam got a box with soil and a silver seed for a mallorn tree.**

 **Aragorn receives two gifts from Galadriel in the book. A sheathe for his future sword Anduril, and the Elessar, or Elfstone. The stone was a relic from the continent of Beleriand, where the** _ **Silmarillion**_ **takes place, and was a dowry of sorts from Galadriel as a prophecy of his marriage to Arwen.**

 **Galadriel's gift to Gimli is a very symbolic gift in the Tolkien's work. It was said that Galadriel's hair absorbed some of the light and magic of the Two Trees of Light in Aman, and that Feanor, the elven smith who would craft the gems that would be the** _ **Silmarillion's**_ **namesake, wanted a strand of hair from her. He asked her three times, and for each of those three times, she refused his request. Galadriel refused because she could sense the pride and darkness in Feanor's heart. However, Gimli was humble in his request, and, in the book, only asked when pressed by Galadriel. He said that she did not need to fulfill the request if she did not wish to, but this only prompted Galadriel to deem him worthy. It would later be infused with crystal, and become an heirloom of Gimli's house, and become a symbol of good will between dwarves and elves.**

…

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**

 **Preview: Split**


	30. LOTR-FOR: Split

**This is the last chapter of the Fellowship portion of** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **. After this will be a vignette chapter, or two, for those who are not particularly fond of this universe. I will say this though: I have a big plan, plot wise, that is connected to the viewing of LOTR. Just saying…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 30 – Split**

 **It was night, and the fellowship made camp on the shore of the river. As the rest of the fellowship slept, Jaune and Pyrrha were still awake.**

" **Minas Tirith is the safer road, you know that," began Pyrrha.**

 **Jaune sighed, his mind knew where the conversation was headed.**

" **From there we can regroup. Strike from a place of strength," insisted Pyrrha.**

" **There is no strength in Gondor that can avail us," said Jaune.**

" **You were quick enough to trust the elves!" snapped Pyrrha, "Have you so little faith in your own people?"**

 **Jaune's face tightened.**

"Oh no, I think this is the vision from the mirror," said Ruby.

"So it was about which way to go?" asked Ren.

"I think Arc's right to avoid the human kingdoms. Does anyone not remember that Nikos' counterpart tried to take the ring?" pointed out Ilia.

"Even so, it's his people…" said Blake, "If nothing else, they could gain supplies, and maybe some guidance."

"I'm not sure. Given that the ring even tempted Miss Goodwitch, Jaune may have a point," said Pyrrha.

" **Yes there is weakness, there is frailty, but there is courage also, and honor to be found in Men. But you will not see that," rebuked Pyrrha.**

Ozpin contemplated the words of Pyrrha's counterpart. He had lived through the era of the two brothers, and knew that darkness and light perpetually warred within mankind, especially in times of trouble. While a part of him was inclined to agree with Jaune's counterpart, there was still truth to the words of Nikos' counterpart. The trick is finding a way to keep others in light. If only they had a guiding hand to lead them down that path…

" _Like you've done, or rather, couldn't do for all these ages?"_ a whisper in his mind said to him.

…Ozpin looked down in thought.

 **Jaune turned away, but Pyrrha grabbed his shirt pulled him to face her.**

" **You're afraid! All your life, you have hidden in the shadows. Scared of who you are; of what you are!" accused Pyrrha.**

Ozpin's hands tightened as his thoughts drifted to the war in the shadows that he waged with Salem.

" _You're afraid!" the voice from before shouted in Ozpin's mind._

Ozpin flinched inwardly, but he closed his mind and took a breath to center himself.

'No… I'm experienced. If they knew the truth…' Ozpin's thoughts tried to reason.

" _All this time, you've hidden in the shadows. Scared of who you are; of what you are!"_

In his mind's eye, in the briefest of moments, he saw an image of his first life: the tan skin, brown hair, and the green coat. Ozpin broke out into a cold sweat, and he blinked… The image of himself was gone…

"Sir?" asked Glynda.

Ozpin did not face her.

 **Jaune used his wrist to break Pyrrha's hold on him, and he looked her square in the eyes.**

" **I will not lead The Ring within a hundred leagues of your city," declared Jaune harshly.**

 **Pyrrha stared dumbly, but Jaune turned away from her. As he walked to the other end of the camp, he saw Ruby tense under her blanket. He shook his head, and went on his way.**

"So much for making a case," said Weiss.

"I hate to say it, but you're right," said Ren, "An accusation, no matter how true it may seem, can derail even the best laid arguments."

"I hope this doesn't become a recurring theme between those two for the rest of the journey. They need to work together, and not just because we're partners in our reality," said Pyrrha.

Archie, unbeknownst to anyone in the room, gave a grim frown at Pyrrha's words.

 **It was an awkward morning, to say the least. It appeared as though his argument with Pyrrha wasn't as quiet as he'd hoped. No one spoke that morning, they only packed up the boats, and went on their way without saying a word.**

"Looks like the argument was a little loud," observed Coco, "They should have gotten a farther distance before talking about which way to go."

"I doubt either of them expected to have a heated discussion," said Winter.

"They should have. Have you ever tried arguing with a guy over directions," said Emerald.

"Have you ever tried confirm the directions that girls give?" retorted Mercury, "Honestly, they hang on to the map like it's a crappy vampire romance novel."

"You're the one who held the map upside down," grumbled Emerald.

"That was one time," groaned Mercury.

"Enough you two," cut in Cinder, and the duo stopped arguing.

 **They rowed for some time through a canyon when Jaune perked up, and tapped Ruby on the shoulder.**

" **Ruby, look," said Jaune, "The Argonath."**

 **Everyone looked up, and their eyes widened.**

"What is it? What are they looking at?" asked Ruby.

"Shhh… We'll see in a moment," said Weiss.

" **Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old… my kin," said Jaune as he admired what he saw.**

 **The screen revealed two statues that were built into the canyon itself that were even taller than the canyon they were connected to. The statues were of two kings, one young and one old and depicted in Numenorean robes and crowns, with their hands outstretched in a halting manner. They looked stoically forward, with grim expressions, and made for an imposing and intimidating sight.**

"Holy… Those have got to be the size of skyscrapers!" shouted Sun.

"Did mankind make that?" gasped Ghira, as he, Ilia, and Kali's jaws dropped.

"Well Ren, you wanted to see what humans could build. What do you think?" asked Nora in amazement.

"…With hand tools?" asked Ren, awestruck.

"With hand tools," confirmed Archie.

"Amazing," said Blake, Yang and Pyrrha at the same time.

"It's even bigger than the trees with the palaces, and the dwarf city," said Ironwood.

 **When they rowed past the feet, the fellowship marveled at the true scale of statues. If Jaune stood next to it, he'd likely only be halfway up the pinky toe.**

"Talk about scale," said Velvet.

"A part of me wishes I was robotic. I could calculate if such a feat could be possible in Remnant," said Penny.

"I don't think anyone back home could pull this off. Even with modern tools," said Tai, thoroughly impressed.

"For real. I imagine the Vale Health and Safety Department would have a major heart attack just thinking about it," said Qrow.

 **They rowed past the statues, and the river widened and its current began to slow. They soon found themselves in a body of water that was more like a lake, save for the large stone in the horizon. Mist rose from the base of the distant rock, and as they got closer, they could hear the roar of water past it.**

" **The Falls of Rauros," said Jaune, who then turned to the others, "Go to the western shore. We will camp there for the day!"**

 **The boats immediately followed Jaune's lead, and they beached themselves on the banks, and the fellowship set up camp. They got a fire going, and began to eat their rations for the day.**

" **We'll cross the lake at nightfall," began Jaune as he got supplies from the boat to set it by the camp, "Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north."**

" **Oh yes?" piped up Ironwood in an irritated voice**

 **Jaune looked to the dwarf as he set the supplies down.**

" **Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muir? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks," continued the dwarf as soon as he had Jaune's attention.**

"That would be quite the problem," said Kali, "Mazes are tricky on paper, but at least you have the benefit of looking at it overhead."

"They could also just go around it," said Mercury.

"That's dumb! Who knows how long that would take," said Sun.

"Well, whatever. They can figure it out," shrugged Mercury.

" **Oh, and after that, it gets even better!" said Ironwood sarcastically, "Festering, stinking marshlands far as the eye can see."**

"Gross! More bugs…" muttered Yang.

"Bugs might be the least of their problems. Giant creatures like that squid at the mines should be what concerns them," scoffed Raven.

"They're both bad…" said Yang.

" **That is our road," said Jaune resolutely, "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, master dwarf."**

" **Recover my…?! Grrr…" grumbled Ironwood.**

"You know nothing, Jaune Arc," sighed Nora dramatically as she shook her head, "Dwarves don't need to recover strength because they never weaken."

"Tell that to the ones in the mine," scoffed Cinder.

"… Sadly true," grumbled Ironwood in agreement.

 **Jaune was about to finish getting supplies when Blake approached him.**

" **We should leave now," she whispered.**

" **No," responded Jaune, "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."**

 **Blake looked about nervously.**

" **It is not the eastern shore that worries me," said Blake, and Jaune gave her his total attention, "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."**

"Quite the conundrum," began Winter, "On the one hand, Arc's thought is tactically sound, however given what we've seen of the elves, Belladonna's word should be taken seriously."

"Ilia in this universe said their pursuers were just at the borders of their forest. They should be somewhat safe, since it's faster to travel by water than it is to travel by land," said Blake.

She had had to take a water route for a few of her missions in the Fang, sometimes to get the objective, but mostly as an escape route. For the latter, she would just have to stay afloat while she rode the current, while her pursuers had to move as the land dictated.

" **Where's Ruby?" asked Neptune.**

 **Jaune looked about and saw that Ruby wasn't there, and to his worry, he saw that Pyrrha was nowhere to be found.**

"Ruby and Pyrrha aren't there? Where'd they get to?" asked Yang.

"Isn't that bad? Nikos wanted the ring, didn't she?" said Emerald.

Pyrrha paled at the implications.

 **Ruby was exploring the hills near the boats when she came upon a massive stone face of a king of a bygone age.**

" **None of us should wander alone."**

 **Ruby turned to see Pyrrha with some firewood in her arms.**

"Gathering firewood? Well, at least I'm not stalking Ruby… I hope," said Pyrrha.

"Please… Gathering firewood," scoffed Raven, "Sounds like something Vernal would use as a cover to lure a mark."

Pyrrha gulped.

"Who's Vernal?" asked Tai.

"An associate," said Raven sweetly.

"Associate…' Right," scoffed Qrow.

" **You least of all," continued Pyrrha, "So much depends on you."**

 **Ruby simply stared, on guard.**

" **Ruby…?" asked Pyrrha.**

 **Ruby just looked away, but she heard Pyrrha take a step toward her.**

" **I know why you seek solitude," began Pyrrha, "You suffer; I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly?"**

 **Ruby looked back to Pyrrha, silent still.**

" **There are other ways, Ruby. Other paths we might take," suggested Pyrrha.**

"How subtle," snorted Cinder.

"Don't do this…" whispered Pyrrha.

" **I know what you would say," said Ruby, "And it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart."**

"Ruby should leave now. I don't like where their discussion is heading," shivered Pyrrha.

" **Warning? Against what?" questioned Pyrrha, offended by Ruby's words.**

 **Pyrrha took another step toward Ruby, but Ruby side stepped and kept her eyes on Pyrrha.**

" **We're all afraid, Ruby," began Pyrrha, "But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have… Don't you see that's madness?"**

" **We** _ **cannot**_ **use the ring. There is no other way," said Ruby firmly.**

 **Something changed in Pyrrha's eyes, and the woman growled.**

" **I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" Pyrrha shouted as she slammed the firewood upon the ground.**

"That's always the worst. When one's desire to help and protect others leads them to a path twists them into something unrecognizable," said Ghira as he watched on sadly.

"Yeah…" said Blake in full understanding.

"I can understand the reasoning…" began Ilia, but she stopped herself from saying more.

The truth was that while Ilia firmly believed the faunus needed to stand up to humans more, a small part of her heart always wondered, once again, if her parents would be proud of the road she was on.

'They wanted you to have a better life…' whispered a voice in her head.

'The humans took that chance away when they neglected the safety of their miners!' Ilia argued with herself.

'Did they take it away? Or did you throw it away when you allowed your anger and sorrow to consume you…?' the voice in her mind continued.

Ilia's hands tightened, and her spots turned red then blue.

"Ilia?" asked Blake, who noticed the color-change.

"…It's nothing," denied Ilia.

 **Ruby stared at the sight in shock, then in fear as Pyrrha stared at her.**

" **If you would but lend me the ring…" said Pyrrha with an open hand.**

" **No!" said Ruby as she backed away.**

Pyrrha went white.

"Now her intentions are laid bare," said Cinder.

"Our Pyrrha would never-!" objected Nora.

"Do not be so naïve," laughed Cinder, "Human, or faunus, we all want power! It doesn't matter what form it takes: Power to protect, power to guide, power to rule, and power to destroy, and so forth. It's all the same, when you burn away the reasoning behind it."

"Quite true," agreed Raven, "The 'good guys' are only able to be that way because they have the power to live up to their lofty ideals."

Ozpin saw the conflict in his students' faces, but wondered what he could say.

'Am I any different?' he thought.

Salem's power was great, and so he needed to gain power for himself in order to keep her in check, after all.

 **The light in Pyrrha's eyes seemed to fade.**

" **Why do you recoil? I am no thief," insisted Pyrrha as she edged closer to Ruby.**

" **You are not yourself," objected Ruby.**

"… **What chance do you think you have?" hissed Pyrrha, "They will find you. They will take the ring. And you will beg for death before the end!"**

 **Ruby heard a faint whisper, and realized what was going on. She turned around, and walked back to the boats, and hoped that some distance would help Pyrrha-**

" **FOOL!"**

 **Ruby whipped around, and saw Pyrrha go after her aggressively.**

" **It is not yours, save by uncommon chance!" spat Pyrrha.**

 **Ruby broke into a run. Pyrrha's stride was greater though, and soon the champion of Gondor was atop her.**

" **It could have been mine! It** _ **should**_ **be mine!" roared Pyrrha as she wrestled Ruby for the ring on her neck, "Give it to me!"**

Ruby went pale, as Pyrrha's hands covered her mouth as she gasped.

"Snap out of it, Pyrrha! It's the ring!" shouted Nora.

"Is it? Or is that her true self?" said Cinder with an evil smile.

"And what of you?" Ozpin chose to speak in defense of his pupils, "If I recall my counterpart's words, Tai Yang found you to be quite a pitiful being in this universe. Is that what the ring revealed of you in this world?"

Immediately, there was a rally of sorts on his students' faces, or at least, he had stemmed their doubts in themselves for now. Cinder though looked absolutely livid, and that gave him some comfort. However, while he did take that comfort, an uncomfortable thought entered into his mind…

'What of me…?' Ozpin asked of himself.

" **No!" denied Ruby, as she cradled the ring.**

" **Give me the ring!" demanded Pyrrha as she made for the hobbit's neck.**

" **No! NO!" shouted Ruby as she slipped the ring on her finger.**

 **Pyrrha blinked in shock as Ruby vanished, but was kicked back by the unseen hobbit, and the redhead saw fallen leaves rustle away from her.**

"She got away. Good," said Tai.

"Sorry about the kick Pyrrha, but that was really scary," said Ruby.

"It's okay, Ruby. For what she tried to do, she deserved it. I'm not offended," said Pyrrha.

" **I see your mind…" declared Pyrrha in a crazed voice as she got up, "You will take the ring to Salem! You will betray us! You go to your death, and the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you! AND ALL THE HALFLINGS!"**

 **Pyrrha suddenly slipped, and her head was knocked against a fallen branch before she rolled down the hill a little. She gasped, and the light returned to her eyes. Soon her face was filled with horror, and shock.**

"… **Ruby?" she whispered, as got up and leaves fell from her hair, "Ruby…"**

 **Pyrrha began to cry, and her lip shuddered in horror.**

" **What have I done…?" she asked herself, "Ruby…"**

"Wait, so the ring made her do it?" asked Nora, hopeful it wasn't all Pyrrha's doing.

"Yes, and no… She desired the ring, but I suspect it was for the sake of her people," said Ozpin, "Salem's will within the ring however twisted her desire for the power to protect to her own advantage. If I recall, Archie, you said that the ring's powers of manipulation become stronger, and subtler the closer it gets to Mordor."

"Yes, Ozpin, your assessment is astute," said Archie.

"It doesn't excuse what she did, though," said Pyrrha reluctantly.

"No, it doesn't," said Ren, "But it does make it rather tragic."

Pyrrha agreed in her silence.

" **Ruby, I'm sorry! Ruby!" cried out Pyrrha.**

 **There was no response, and she collapsed to her knees as tears of bitterness fell from her eyes.**

" **Forgive me… I'm sorry…" she wept.**

"That's so sad…" said Ruby, "I know what she did, but it's just…"

"Yeah, it sucks," said Yang.

 **The scene changed to Jaune, who was at the top of a hill overlooking the landscape. There was a stone building nearby with pillars, a staircase, and a statue of a great eagle perched atop it**

" **Ruby! Pyrrha!" he called out, "Where are they?"**

 **THUD!**

 **Jaune immediately crouched, and stalked toward the source of the noise. He peered over the grass, and saw Ruby propped up on her elbows, breathing hard.**

" **Ruby?" he called as he got up, and took a step toward her.**

 **She turned around, and was alarmed by her shaken expression.**

" **It has taken Pyrrha," said Ruby.**

Pyrrha winced, but Ruby leaned and patted Pyrrha's back to comfort her, and the Mistral champion relaxed a little.

" **Where is the ring?" Jaune half-gasped, half-growled.**

" **STAY BACK!" yelped Ruby in fright.**

 **Any anger that Jaune may have had dissipated, and he followed Ruby out of concern.**

" **Ruby…" he called out, but kept a respectful distance as she half-hid behind a pillar, "I swore to protect you."**

"… **Can you protect me from yourself?" asked Ruby.**

 **Jaune tilted his head, but gasped when Ruby opened her hand and saw the One Ring. It might have been slightly tucked to Ruby's side, but Jaune was transfixed on it.**

" **Would you destroy it…?" he half-heard.**

"Why would she do that? Nikos tried to get it, what makes her think Arc won't?" asked Emerald.

That got everyone worried, save Cinder, Raven, and Mercury.

 **Jaune was drawn to the Ring, and took staggered steps.**

" _ **jaune…"**_ **the ring whispered lightly.**

"No, not again!" cried out Nora.

"Resist! You can do it!" shouted Pyrrha.

RWBY, and Ren leaned forward, and looked on with worried eyes.

 **Jaune now stood before Ruby, and looked down at the golden band.**

" _ **Jaune…"**_ **it whispered loudly.**

 **Jaune saw a vision:** _ **The ring was on his finger, Weiss by his side. They both wore the royal regalia of Gondor's royal family, and the whole of the royal court bowed to him.**_

" _ **Take me, and you shall be immortal. My power will keep you alive," the gentle voice of woman said, "Your beloved maiden will not need to forsake the immortality gifted by Iluvitar. She need not suffer the woes of Luthien. Take me, and you shall be known as Elessar the Undying…"**_

Weiss gasped at the words.

" _ **Elessar…"**_ **it whispered.**

"I wonder why they are calling him 'Elessar.' That's not his name," remarked Penny.

"Perhaps it's a regnal name," said Glynda, "Kings and queens will sometimes change their names at a coronation ceremony for political reasons, but mostly to distinguish themselves from kings and queens of the lands who share the same name as them."

 **Jaune's hand reached for the ring, and Ruby gasped as her eyes widened.**

"Don't you dare, Arc!" shouted Weiss as she got to her feet, "I swear if you listen to that bitch, I'll find some way to go into your universe, and kick your ass!"

"Weiss! Language!" gasped Winter in shock.

She wasn't the only one in shock. Weiss's team, as well as Jaune's team, knew how prim and proper Weiss was. To hear her curse like a sailor was a shock for them.

Even more surprising, Weiss ignored Winter.

" _ **The Shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you, not over me…"**_ **Weiss' voice suddenly called in his mind.**

 **Jaune closed his eyes, took a breath, and knelt before Ruby. His hand moved from its attempt to take the ring, and instead he got Ruby's hand and closed it around the golden band. Immediately, ring's temptations ended.**

"Looks like he heard you Weiss," laughed Yang.

"Oh…" Weiss said as she blinked in surprise.

"The power behind the throne, perhaps?" chuckled Kali.

"You can sit down now, Weiss," said Blake.

She suddenly realized she was standing out, literally, and sat back down.

"Thank you, to both you and your counterpart," said Pyrrha.

"I… doubt he heard me," mumbled Weiss.

Pyrrha laughed a little.

" **I know now why you've been so distant. You're leaving us…" said Jaune.**

 **Ruby's eyes watered, and nodded.**

" **As I said, it has already taken Pyrrha," said Ruby.**

"She's leaving?" asked Yang.

"…It makes sense," said Blake, "Like Ruby's dad said, that ring will get to them, and they won't realize until it's too late."

"Isn't that a bad idea? I mean, I saw the influence it had on my counterpart, but wouldn't going to the enemy stronghold by herself be suicide?" asked Pyrrha.

Ruby gulped at the prospect of having to do something so dangerous all by herself.

 **Jaune nodded in response.**

" **I would have followed you to the end," said Jaune as he looked her in the eyes, "Into the very fires of Mordor."**

 **He gently moved Ruby's hand to her chest, and released his hold on it, his hands in surrender of the opportunity to take it.**

" **I know," said Ruby as she gave a relieved smile, before her face became melancholy, "Look after the others. Especially Yang. She will not understand."**

"Wait, she's leaving me too? Hell no!" shouted Yang.

"She's trying to protect you," said Ruby.

"You aren't just running off!" objected Yang.

 **Jaune nodded, but as his head went down from the nod, he saw a glint of light from Sting.**

" **Go Ruby…" said Jaune as he got to his feet and drew his sword.**

 **He saw Ruby follow his eyes, and drew her sword to show the light of the sword.**

"Looks like Blake was right," said Ilia.

"If glowing, that means they're nearby, right?" asked Tai, worried.

"They caught up fast," gasped Blake.

" **Run…" commanded Jaune as Ruby looked to him in worry. He heard a rustle behind him, "RUN!"**

 **Ruby ran, and Jaune turned around, and stepped out into the hill. There he saw an orcs, the like he had never seen before. Their armor was fine articulated plate save for their bare legs, as there was only a loincloth that covered their lower body. Their helmets were smooth and unadorned with the usual items that orcs would put upon it, save for a painted white hand. They had swords that looked like cleavers with an inverted spike at the tip, and an angled shield that followed the arm length-wise with a half-moon shape with sharp points near its fist.**

 **He saw, among the ranks of these creatures, one without a helm that walked confidently. Its yellow eyes, hair in a topknot, and bared teeth would have made an intimidating sight.**

"That's that creature that that Watts guy had in his tower," said Emerald.

"Looks like the hunting party he talked about found them," said Ironwood, "The enemy would have needed to chase them nonstop to be able to catch up to them that quickly."

"That armor… it looks standardized," remarked Winter.

"Is that important?" asked Blake.

"Standardization implies a level of sophisticated organization. From what I've observed, those goblins in the mines had armor that looked… cobbled together. And those same goblins' weapons also looked equally cobbled and personalized," said Penny.

"I guess having a treacherous wizard has some perks," said Qrow.

 **However, Jaune had lived through many battles, and merely walked into the pack with his sword pointed up. One of them charged at him, and swung its sword. Jaune merely dodged the blow, and he stepped forward. A quick glance saw that the creatures were not armored on the back, and in a split second, Jaune swung at the spine. He killed the first attacker, then moved to cut down another, and another, and so forth with such ferocity the creatures took it as a challenge, and abandoned all thoughts of moving past him.**

"Why aren't they armored in the back? Wouldn't that make the armor sag forward?" asked Emerald.

"The knots of the armor straps look like they could hold the armor in place," pointed out Penny.

"It could also be psychological. If they aren't armored in the back, it could force them to always face the enemy, and not retreat," said Ironwood.

 **This continued for at least five more kills, before Jaune saw them begin to surround him. He broke off from the engagement, and retreated back to the structure that he and Ruby stood in just a minute ago. He moved up the stairs, barely avoided a strike from his pursuers, and turned to face them. Jaune's strategy to fight the mob on a narrow high ground worked for two kills, but they pursued him with such ferocity that Jaune soon found himself on the defensive.**

" _ **FIND THE HALFLING, URUK-HAI! FIND THE HALFLING!"**_ **he heard one of them roar.**

"They're after the ring. Looks like Arthur wants to please his mistress," said Glynda.

"His mistress? Or perhaps he wants it as well," suggested Ozpin.

"That wouldn't surprise me," snorted Cinder.

 **Jaune turned looked down to see that these creatures, these "Uruk-hai," run into the forest.**

" **Elendil!" Jaune bellowed as a war cry, and leapt off the building.**

 **He landed on a few of them, to break their charge and his fall.**

 **Cruch-splat**

 **Jaune head this noise as the Uruk-hai's skulls collided with the earth, and pointed his sword up and impaled a charging enemy. Another attempted to kill him before he could pull his sword out from the dead enemy that hung over him, but it was killed by an elven arrow to the throat.**

" **Baruk Khazad! Khazad ai-menu!" Jaune heard Ironwood, and the Uruk-hai were distracted from him.**

 **Ironwood and Blake, had entered into the fray. As Jaune got up and removed his sword, he saw Ironwood throw a small axe at one of the creatures, and cleave through the plate armor of another with his double-bladed axe.**

 **Blake meanwhile, fired arrows left and right, while barely moving from her chosen spot, and the one time an uruk did get close, she just stabbed the creature through the eye slit of its helm with an arrow before she used the same arrow to shoot down another.**

"The cavalry is here!" declared Nora.

"Look at them go," said Coco.

 **Jaune, now on his feet, stabbed an uruk that tried to get him, and reunited with the elf and dwarf.**

" **They're after the hobbits!" said Jaune.**

" **Then we'll hold them for now. Go after them," said Blake.**

 **Jaune clapped a hand on Blake's shoulder, and ran into the woods. He saw an uruk war band run down the hill, and he picked up speed and flanked them by cutting off the legs of the one in the head of the line. All the followers howled in rage, and turned their attention on him.**

" **Go, Ruby. Be safe," he said to himself before he charged.**

"So, now it's a battle to buy time," said Tai.

"Ruby's fast, and small," pointed out Yang, "If anyone can avoid danger, it's her."

"You don't have to say it like that," grumbled Ruby, self-conscious of her height.

 **Ruby was behind a tree, and kept herself low and flush against the trunk. Three of her pursuers ran by without spotting her.**

" **Ruby!" came a loud whisper.**

 **She turned, and saw that Sun and Neptune were in a hollow log.**

" **Hide here quick, come on!" Sun whispered as Neptune used a hand to urge her over.**

 **Ruby just shook her head sadly.**

" **What's she doing?" asked Sun to Neptune, worried.**

 **Ruby looked away, and around the other side of the tree.**

"… **She's leaving," she barely heard Neptune say.**

 **Ruby winced, and closed her eyes as she took a breath.**

"I get the ring corrupts, but that's too great a burden to bear for someone alone," said Velvet.

"Is this all because of what my counterpart told her? That to be a bearer of a Ring of Power, she was to be alone?" gasped Glynda.

"Guess we shouldn't always take a teacher's word to seriously," said Coco.

Glynda had no comeback to that point, given the context.

" **NO!" shouted Sun, who leapt out of the log.**

" **Sun!" yelped Neptune as he went after Sun, as Sun was halfway to Ruby.**

" **RRAAAGHH!"**

 **Ruby saw Sun grab Neptune, and both turned to see the enemy had spotted them. Neptune looked down for a moment in thought, and then turned to Ruby and put on a brave face.**

"… **Run, Ruby, go," said Neptune.**

Ruby, Weiss, and Sun gasped in shock.

"They're sacrificing themselves…?" gasped Penny.

"They're putting the mission first," said Winter sadly.

" **Hey you! OVER HERE!" called out Neptune as he pointed at the uruks.**

" **HEY!" shouted Sun as he wave his arms about.**

" **Over here!" called Neptune before he broke off in the other direction as Ruby.**

" **This way!" shouted Sun after Neptune.**

 **Ruby saw them lead her hunters away, and she took toward the other direction with tears in her eyes.**

"That's… really cool. Probably the best thing I've done in this universe at this point," said Sun.

"You'll wind up dead," said Mercury, "Maybe not right away, but you will if you get caught."

"Doesn't matter! If it's for a person or cause worth believing in, then it'll be worth it," said Sun.

"Sun…" gasped Blake in shock.

"Hey, don't be like that, Blake. If Neptune's, and my counterpart are anything like us, we won't make it easy," said Sun.

Ozpin sat silently…

' _How many died for you? How many died believing their sacrifices would not be in vain when they had yet to learn the full truth…?"_ the voice from before asked him yet again.

Ozpin gave no answer to himself.

 **Jaune cut down another of the uruks, along with Ironwood and Blake, who now joined him in the shade of the forest. Blake had switched from her bow to a pair of short blades that she carried along with. Blake practically danced through the uneven forest terrain she cut the enemy down.**

"You glide through the forest so easily. I guess it's just something elves are naturally good at," said Ilia.

"I don't know about that. Archie mentioned there were different kinds of elves, and that I'm an elf from a forest realm," said Blake.

"Either way, you have the home field advantage here," said Kali.

 **Jaune cut down yet another enemy, but was pushed into a pillar by one that got the jump on him.**

 **The uruk raised its cleaver-sword high, but Ironwood intervened with a swing of his double-bladed , it went through the uruk's chest plate, and cracked up the bones it cleaved through. The dwarf then removed the axe, and bashed the uruk's head in with the pole between the axe heads.**

 **Jaune meanwhile ducked beneath an uruk's sword, and when the blade got lodged into the pillar, he got out his hunting knife, and stabbed the uruk between the plates of his armor, grabbed the back of it's head and smashed it into the pillar.**

" **What are these things? The fight harder than any orc I've encountered," said Ironwood.**

" **They are likely the creation of Arthur the White. They bear the mark of his hand," said Jaune.**

" **RAAAGH!"**

" **More of them," said Jaune, as he saw another wave approach.**

" **Go help the elf. I can hold them here," said Ironwood.**

" **You are certain?" asked Jaune.**

" **I've enough strength for the three of us, now go! Khazad ai-menu!" bellowed Ironwood as he charged the new wave of uruks.**

 **Jaune moved to Blake's aid, as Ironwood tore into the enemy.**

"You're a real terror here, general," said Winter, in awe.

"It makes me wonder how I'd be now if I didn't go through the loss of my captain," said Ironwood.

"I'd say you'd be a fine man, and commander either way. Time, and experience will temper and strengthen anyone," said Glynda.

That reassured Ironwood, and put a smile on his face.

 **Sun and Neptune ran through the forest, but stopped when they saw that they were surrounded. They looked around for an opening, the enemy was closing in on all sides. They saw one big uruk with a massive axe charge at them, weapon raised.**

"Aw, crap!" shouted Sun.

"Told you," said Mercury smugly.

 **The uruk swung, but it was caught by Pyrrha, who appeared from the side and grabbed the pole.**

"Saved!" cheered Sun.

"Pyrrha's back!" said Nora, "And it looks like she's ready to kick butt!"

"Good," said Pyrrha, relieved at the turn of events, "It's an opportunity for redemption, in the eyes of her friends, and more importantly, for herself."

 **Pyrrha kicked the uruk in the crotch, which made it let go of the weapon. Pyrrha then used the axe on the uruk, and cleaved it down to its hip, before she drew her own sword.**

" **Stay close! Follow me!" Pyrrha ordered.**

 **Sun and Neptune drew their own swords, and nodded.**

"Redeem herself, eh? She's off to a great start," praised Coco.

"She must be really strong if she could cut that deep with an axe," said Velvet.

"Strong, or angry?" asked Ren.

"Maybe a bit of both. I'd be the same too if my friends were in danger," said Pyrrha.

 **Jaune was grabbed by the collar and pushed into a tree. Off to the side, Blake was shooting her bow at the loose stragglers at the hill, and took out the last of the last of the ones in their immediate area. Jaune took a breath before he punched the face of the one that grabbed him. He reached for the dagger Ilia gave him, but the uruk caught his wrist, and threw him to the ground. Before the uruk could kill him though, it tensed and collapsed. Jaune saw an elven arrow in the uruk's back, and he pushed himself up.**

"Those things must be really powerful if they could force this version of Jaune on the defensive so often" said Ren.

"That creature was not made naturally… Well, relatively speaking, given their origins of orcs and goblins. The point is they were engineered in some fashion to be bigger, stronger, and faster," said Velvet.

"Even my overly enthusiastic counterpart seemed to acknowledge they were unlike any orc he fought against," said Ironwood.

 **BAWOOOO- BAWOOOO- BAWOOOOooo…**

 **Jaune and Blake turned to face downhill.**

" **The Horn of Gondor," said Blake.**

" **Pyrrha!" Jaune charged down the hill.**

 **There was an orc that got in his way, and he dodged the sword of the uruk, cut at an exposed bit of leg. It fell to its knee, and Jaune, who used the momentum of his first strike, swung the blade around to slice the neck. He then continued down the hill, and cut and stabbed through any uruk in his way.**

"Looks like even Pyrrha needs help," said Yang.

"I hope Jaune won't be too upset her after the battle," said Pyrrha.

Archie's head lowered…

 **The scene changed to Pyrrha as she held back the uruks. Pyrrha tossed an uruk over her shoulder, and stabbed her sword through its breastplate, and it released a gasp of air as it died. She then brought the horn on her hip to her lips.**

 **BAWOOOO- BAWOOOO- BAWOOOOooo…**

 **She let go of the horn, and deflected a sword with her own. She swept the uruk off its feet and into the dirt face first. As she drove the sword into the uruk's spine, her eye caught an incoming enemy. However, Sun and Neptune both leapt upon the uruk, and drove it to the ground. The two hobbits then got their swords and stabbed into the creature' chest.**

"That's right! Back her up, guys!" cheered on Sun.

"Nikos for the win!" cheered Nora.

" **Go, GO!" urged Pyrrha and they began to kite the incoming mob.**

 **One got close, and Pyrrha was forced into an engagement. As she killed it, she noticed stones being thrown from behind her. She saw them hit the helmets, and when she turned, she saw that Sun and Neptune had gotten some large rocks from around them, and aimed for the head as they began to stone the creatures.**

"Rocks?" asked Emerald.

"Blunt force trauma," corrected Tai Yang.

"Their helmets seem solidly constructed, but they must hug the head pretty tightly," observed Winter, "Most modern helmets have a cushion, or are, at least, designed in such a way as to cradle and deflect a sudden blow."

"Guess the helmet's not _that_ well-made," said Coco.

 **With some ranged support, Pyrrha stood her ground, and killed the uruks one by one more easily. Sun and Neptune helped where they could. They focused on the uruks that would try to get the jump on Pyrrha, or a cluster that threatened to rush their flank. Their strategy was worked to good effect, and they held ground as a pile of enemy corpses began to build.**

"Go guys, go!" cheered Ruby.

"They might just make it through this," said Weiss, encouraged by what she saw.

" **They're gaining momentum… Sun, Neptune, up the hill! We can hold better from th – ACK!"**

 **Her breath stopped short, and she felt a cold, wet pain in her chest. She looked down, and saw an arrow embedded near her heart.**

Pyrrha gasped in shock.

Ruby, Nora, and Sun's cheering died in their mouths.

Ren broke out into a sweat, as the others went white. Even Raven and Cinder's group were not expecting it.

" **RAH!" shouted Pyrrha, as she killed an uruk that tried to take advantage of the new development.**

 **Neptune, and Sun saw Pyrrha still fight, and they resumed their stone bombardment of the incoming enemy with a more desperate vigor.**

 **Pyrrha cut down two uruks with one of her swings-**

 **THUNK!**

 **She gasped as a second arrow tore through her armor, and into her stomach.**

Pyrrha felt sick at the sight.

"Where's Jaune?" yelped Nora, as tears began to fall.

"He's on his way…" began Ren in an uncertain voice.

 **Pyrrha's body twisted, and she collapsed to her knees as she labored for breath. She looked up, and saw that Sun and Neptune were so distraught by what happened, that they dropped the stones in their hands.**

"No, don't give up! You… You can do it… Jaune's on his way," began Ruby.

Her own team wanted to second the notion, but given what they saw, it was hard to do so. In fact, much of the audience could not find it in their hearts to agree.

"It's over," said Cinder, "It's only a matter of time."

 **Tears welled up within Pyrrha's eyes from the pain, and sight of her disheartened friends. However, she firmed up her face, and took in some air.**

" **R-Run… Run, my friends," she said with a weak smile.**

 **The hobbits blinked in surprise, but Pyrrha got what strength she could and rose to her feet.**

Pyrrha gasped as she saw her counterpart gain a second wind.

" **AARRRGHHHH!" she bellowed.**

 **Her movement came with a sword swing that cleaved through underside of an uruk's neck and jaw. She then stabbed into the plate of another.**

"Go Pyrrha!" cheered Ruby as her own tears fell, "You can do it!"

"Fight on!" added Yang.

"Kick their asses!" cheered Nora.

"How? She has two arrows in her body," demanded Cinder.

"That is because for all her flaws, she has true strength and honor," said Ozpin, "The end is near, as you said, but she will stand her ground and for as hard and long as she needs to for what is precious to her…"

As Ozpin trailed off, lost in his thoughts, Pyrrha felt pride in her, and she stood up.

"Keep going! For as long as you can, and more!" declared Pyrrha.

 **She drew her sword out, deflected an uruk blade, sliced at its leg, and stabbed it through the back once it fell. A fourth one came at her.**

" **RAAHH" she cried as she took two steps.**

 **She met the attacker by deflecting the enemy sword, and she brought her weapon down in an overhead swing that cleaved through the uruk's helmet.**

 **THUNK!**

 **Pyrrha did not scream this time, as the arrow broke her horn and armor, and pierced her just beneath the sternum. She could only gasp as she fell to her knees, and her strength finally gave out.**

A moment ago she would have winced, but even as the tears fell, Pyrrha watched on so that she may remember what real strength looked like. So that if such a time came where she had to defend that which mattered most, she would know what to do with no uncertainty.

" **RAH!"**

" **AGH!"**

 **Pyrrha looked up, and saw the backs of Sun and Neptune as they charged the incoming force, swords held high.**

"Looks like your counterpart inspired them," said Ren.

"It appears that I did… I just wish they followed her wishes," said Pyrrha sadly.

"No way! Neptune, and I would never turn our backs on our friends," said Sun.

 **However, the enemy simply grabbed them by their necks and sword arms. They disarmed the hobbits, and slung them over their backs, and Pyrrha's heart broke as they struggled to break free while she could do nothing. Such was her state that the uruks now completely ignored her and charged past her.**

"She's not even worth the effort anymore…" said Emerald, though in her heart, she did feel a pain of sadness.

"I called it. They'd get caught. They just had to play hero," said Mercury.

 **Her head hung down, and she stared at the ground as strength and consciousness began to leave her. However, two feet walked into her vision and face her direction. She looked up, and saw a lone uruk with a white hand on its face, a topknot, and yellow eyes hold a recurve bow in its hands.**

"It's that creep from before! The wizard's captain," said Yang.

"Figures he'd be the one," said Blake.

 **Jaune was concerned, no, he was scared. He could no longer hear the sound of clanging metal, or any more of the Horn of Gondor. He did not even see any more of the uruks. He went over the crest of a small hill, and he felt a cold chill grasp his heart. He beheld the sight of Pyrrha on her knees with three arrows in her body, as a lone uruk stood and looked down upon her; the same, helmetless uruk from the top of the hill.**

"Hurry!" urged Nora.

 **Jaune ran down the hill quickly as the Uruk drew an arrow, nocked it to the bow string, and pulled it back. As he got closer to his target, Jaune saw Pyrrha's face, and saw she gave a look of defiance and showed no fear. Jaune leapt, and crashed into the distracted uruk, and the arrow it drew fired off into a tree.**

"Alright!" cheered Nora and Ruby.

"Why cheer? She's going to die regardless," said Raven.

"Maybe, but a friend's there now. That's what will matter to her in the end," said Tai Yang from afar.

Raven blinked at Tai's words, and looked away as a memory stirred…

 _Raven collapsed as she left the portal she made, and looked up to see a familiar house near a familiar forest in Patch. She then looked at the person in her arms._

" _Summer…" began Raven, in too tight a voice._

 _Eyelids opened weakly, and red eyes looked upon faded silver._

" _Long time no see… Raven…" said Summer as she smiled, and laid in Raven's arms._

 _..._

"…Perhaps," Raven sighed to herself, back to the present, before she returned to the screen.

" **RRRRAAAAAAAAGGHHH!" bellowed the uruk.**

 **Jaune quickly got to his feet, and blocked the blow of the charging uruk. The block quickly turned into a blade lock, and the two were face to face. That is until the uruk roared again, and pushed Jaune back. It broke the blade lock, and sent Jaune staggering into a nearby tree with so much force he dropped his sword. As Jaune shook it off, his dazed eyes saw that the uruk had picked up one shields of its fallen brood mates, and in a smooth motion, hurtled it at him. The portion that looked like a pointed half-moon cradled and pinned his neck snug against the tree.**

"So that's what that part of the shield is for," said Penny.

"Doubtful," said Coco, "Perhaps in that situation, but given how strong those things are, that part of the shield could puncture armor with just a punch."

 **His mind immediately focused as he tried to pry off the shield while uruk charged with a swing of its sword.**

"Hurry!" urged Weiss.

 **Jaune got the shield loose enough for him to duck as the uruk's sword scraped along the shield, and sliced into the tree where his neck and head previously was.**

Weiss, and all Jaune's friends, sighed in relief.

 **Jaune punched the uruk in the navel, below the armor, but uruk kneed him in the gut, and kicked Jaune to the side. The uruk attempted to kill Jaune while he was prone on the ground, but Jaune avoided the attack by rolling. Jaune then kicked the uruk in the shoulder right after it missed him. The blow made the uruk relinquish one of its hands from its blade, and Jaune drew out the dagger Ilia gave him and stabbed it into the uruk's leg.**

"Nice!" whooped Ilia.

"That wound should hinder the creature's movements now," said Ren.

"Which will make it easier to kill," said Velvet.

" **EEERAAgh…" shrieked the uruk, before it punched Jaune to the ground.**

 **It then picked him up, head-butted him, and punched him off to the side.**

 **Jaune pulled himself up, and saw the uruk rip the dagger from his leg, and lick its own blood off it. Jaune noticed his sword, and grabbed it just in time to deflect the dagger as it was being thrown at him.**

"That was close," sighed Winter in relief.

"I never got why some people in the movies do that: lick their blood off of weapons," said Ghira.

"Intimidation," said Qrow, _"Ooh, look at me, I lick blood, I'm a badass. So scary!"_

 **The creature roared in anger, and reached for its own sword. Jaune though scrambled to his feet, parried the incoming blow, and capitalized on the effect of the wound he inflicted onto the uruk just a moment ago. Jaune pushed the uruk back with his own sword attacks before he cut off its sword arm, and thrusted his blade into the uruk's gut.**

"He got him!" cheered Ruby, and Pyrrha.

 **To his shock, the uruk just grabbed the base of Jaune's sword and pulled him closer with one last look and growl of defiance. Jaune however, pulled the blade free, and decapitated the uruk.**

"Now he got him," said Ozpin.

 **Once it's body fell he staggered over to Pyrrha who had crawled to a nearby tree, and rested on her back.**

" **No…" said Jaune.**

"A bittersweet victory…" sighed Glynda sadly.

"Yes," agreed Ironwood, "They took three losses this battle."

 **Jaune maneuvered around the dead uruks that Pyrrha had slain, and to her side.**

" **T-They took the little ones!" gasped out Pyrrha as soon as she saw Jaune.**

" **Be still…" said Jaune as looked at the arrows that had been fired into her.**

" **R-Ruby. Where is Ruby?" she asked as she grasped his shoulder to make him look at her.**

"… **I let Ruby go," answered Jaune, after a moment's thought.**

" **Then you did what I could not," said Pyrrha, "I tried to take the ring from her."**

 **Jaune stared at her, but shook his head.**

" **The ring is beyond our reach now," Jaune said.**

" **Forgive me. I did not see… I have failed you all," gasped out Pyrrha mournfully.**

 **Jaune shook his head again, and his expression softened.**

" **No, Pyrrha, you fought bravely. You have kept your honor," said Jaune.**

"Good, he doesn't hate me," Pyrrha sighed in relief.

"You're dying there! How could his opinion of you be the most important thing in this situation?" asked Emerald.

"Because even though our relationship is different in that universe, the Jaune I know is my friend. Any universe we watch where Jaune is at odds with us will hurt us, because that's how strong our bond is. I like to think that even if one of us were to die, just knowing that our mutual love and friendship would never die would be enough," said Pyrrha.

 **Pyrrha relaxed a little, and Jaune's hand moved to examine her arrow wounds to see if there were some way for him to save her.**

" **Leave it!" she batted his hand away.**

 **Jaune looked at her with mournful eyes.**

" **It is over," Pyrrha gasped, "The world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness… And my city to ruin."**

"There's something to be said for someone who thinks of, and fears for others in final moments," said Ren.

"She really is a lot like you," said Nora.

"I guess we have more in common than I thought," said Pyrrha.

All this time, Pyrrha thought her counterpart to be power hungry, but, in her own flawed way, she just wanted to protect others. It didn't excuse what she did to Ruby, but that desperation to bring about what mattered to her was something she understood. After all, she robbed another person the opportunity to be a friend and partner with Jaune for her own selfish desire for normalcy; for something good that she desired.

 **Jaune grasped her hand, and held them into his with a look of resolve.**

" **I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail," declared Jaune.**

 **Pyrrha looked at him with wonder, and surprise.**

" _ **Our**_ **people…?" she repeated, then she smiled, "Our people…"**

"Looks like Jaune isn't going to hide who he is anymore," said Blake.

"Does that bring back memories Blake?" asked Yang sincerely.

Blake touched the bow on her head.

"…A little," said Blake.

 **Jaune nodded, and then he saw her try to reach her sword. Jaune got it, and placed the handle in her hands. She put the hilt to her heart as she held it in a reverse grip. She took in some air with labored breath, and looked up at Jaune.**

" **I would have followed you my brother… My captain… My king…" declared Pyrrha proudly.**

 **A few short moments later, Jaune heard a whisper of breath leave her body as a look of peace graced Pyrrha's face.**

 **Jaune eyes welled up, and he bowed his head and placed his hand on his forehead, his mouth, and then onto Pyrrha's head as he leaned forward.**

" **Be at peace, Champion of Gondor," said Jaune.**

 **He leaned forward to kiss her brow, and then gently shut her eyes.**

"A peaceful death in the end," said Ozpin.

'I think that's the first actual kiss I've seen him give to me in these viewings… I just it was in a more romantic situation,' thought Pyrrha sadly.

 **He then got up, and looked at her solemnly. Blake and Ironwood, who had arrived moments ago, watched on sadly in the distance. Jaune knew when they arrived, but he devoted his attention to Pyrrha in her final moments.**

" **They will look for her coming from the White Tower, but she will not return," said Jaune as tears fell from his eyes.**

"Well that sucks," said Nora, "A wizard, and a champion are gone, two companions kidnapped-"

"My counterpart leaving…" threw in Ruby.

"That too…" said Nora as she hung her head.

 **Ruby stood at the banks of the Anduin where the boats were, with an open hand. The ring sat in her palm as she stared off into the distance.**

" _ **Ruby…!"**_ **she heard Yang cry out in the distance.**

"Hurry!" urged Yang, "Don't let her get away!"

"Yang…" began Ruby, but the words stopped.

No reasoning would convince her sister to let her go.

 **Ruby just continued to stare, before she looked at the ring.**

" **So much danger… for this…" she said as tears fell.**

"Indeed," said Ghira, "Something so small… to think people would kill for it."

"Makes you wonder if the pursuit of such relics are worth it in the end," said Kali in agreement.

Ozpin's eye twitched slightly.

 **She looked back out into the distance.**

" **I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened," said Ruby to herself.**

" _ **So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide…"**_ **she heard Ozpin in her mind,** _ **"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."**_

"Wait…" began Ozpin, "The words… They're different from what my counterpart told to her in the mine."

"Do you think Ozpin is alive, and communicating through telepathy? Like Miss Goodwitch?" suggested Nora, hopeful at the prospect.

"Doubtful. We saw Ozpin fall," sighed Ironwood, "She likely remembered the words, and simply applied it to her current situation."

 **Ruby took some breaths, and steeled herself. She pocketed her ring, and moved to one of the boats. She saw it had a fair bit of the food supply, and pushed it into the water before she hopped on. She grabbed one of the oars, and began to paddle to the eastern shores of the Anduin.**

" **Ruby, no…! RUBY!" Ruby heard Yang call out from the western shore.**

" **No, Yang…" Ruby whispered, as tears fell in heartbreak at hearing her sister.**

"Turn back, right now!" shouted Yang to the alternate Ruby.

Before Ruby could get Yang to sit back down, the sound of a splash of water stopped her.

 **Ruby heard a splash in the water, and she stopped rowing to turn around. Yang was walking into the river after her.**

" **Go back, Yang!" Ruby shouted.**

 **Yang just kept walking deeper into the river.**

" **I'm going to Mordor alone!" Ruby insisted.**

" **Sure you are, and I'm coming with you!" shouted Yang.**

 **Yang went deeper.**

" **You can't swim!" shouted Ruby.**

"I can't swim in this…?" gasped Yang for the first time in the situation.

 **Yang eventually lost her footing, and began to splash about in the water.**

" **Yang!" shouted Ruby worriedly.**

 **Yang began to go under, backpack and all.**

" **YANG!"**

"With all the weight Yang had on her…" gasped Blake.

"Go back!" urged Ruby.

"Hurry!" added Weiss.

 **Ruby used her oar, and began to paddle back to where her sister sunk. She took a breath, and leaned into the water. She looked in the water, and saw Yang sinking to the bottom with her eyes and mouth open, with an outstretched arm that reached for the surface.**

Team RWBY, and the other students gasped at what appeared to be a dead Yang.

"NO! Not another one!" gasped Velvet.

 **Ruby grabbed Yang's wrist… Yang respond grabbed Ruby's wrist, and Ruby pulled up.**

"Thank the gods…" said Ozpin in relief.

 **Ruby pulled her to the surface, and Yang coughed out water as she was pulled into the boat. Ruby sat back as Yang got her bearings, and gasped for air.**

" **I made a promise, Ruby; a promise to dad, remember?" said Yang, "Don't you leave her, Yang… And I don't meant, Ruby. I don't mean to."**

" **Oh, Yang," Ruby cried as she pulled her sister into a hug.**

 **Yang returned the embrace, and the two sisters held one another close as they cried into one another's shoulders.**

Yang slumped back into the couch, relieved. She then felt a weight on her shoulder, and saw Ruby had leaned into her.

"Thank goodness…" Ruby said happily.

Yang smiled and leaned her head atop Ruby's.

"Yeah," was all Yang said.

 **Eventually, they broke their embrace, and Ruby looked to Yang.**

" **Come on," said Ruby, and she got an oar.**

 **Yang did too, and they both paddled to the opposite shore.**

 **The scene shifted to Pyrrha's body in a boat. It had been removed of arrows, with her sword laid atop her with the tip toward her feet. Her hands clasped around the hilt, and her head slightly raised by her elven cloak neatly folded, and her shield was propped at the stern of the boat to act as a head stone. Her hair had been arrayed neatly, and her golden belt from Lady Glynda was still wrapped around her waist. All of this gave her a noble bearing, as the bow of the boat approached the Falls of Rauros off into the distance by the massive rock on the southern horizon.**

"A worthy send off for a warrior," said Winter.

"Indeed," agreed Ironwood, "She fought well, and acquitted herself as far as I can tell."

 **Jaune, Blake and Ironwood stood on the western shore and watched on. Jaune now wore one of Pyrrha's vambraces, a black leather wrap with metal splints within that could be adjusted to fit. The leather had the white tree of Gondor branded into the treated hide, and he bowed his head in reverence when he saw the boat disappear into the falls.**

"He got one of my braces," agreed Pyrrha "I'm sure she would like that."

"Would it even fit? Women have smaller wrists, after all," pointed out Coco.

"It may," said Penny, "Most Atlas military uniforms are unisex, mostly for the sake of cost effectiveness. And since Miss Nikos should be a prominent figure in the military of this Gondor, it should be of little concern."

" **Quickly, Ruby and Yang have reached the eastern shore," said Blake as she made for a boat.**

 **Ironwood was about to join her, but stopped when he saw that Jaune did not move. Soon, Blake turned around and saw the same. Jaune merely looked to the east, and saw a boat and two hobbits disappear into the woods across the river. He looked down again, with no sense of urgency.**

"… **You mean not to follow them," realized Blake.**

" **Ruby's fate is no longer in our hands…" answered Jaune.**

"They're still pretty close…" said Tai.

"That ring's already messin' with them, Tai. It'd be bad if they followed, as much as I'd want them to," said Qrow.

 **Blake staggered a little, surprised by Jaune's words.**

" **Then it has all been in vain," grumbled Ironwood, "The fellowship has failed."**

 **Jaune took a breath, and turned to the two other members, who seemed lost without a sense purpose. He clapped them both with a hand on their shoulders.**

" **Not if we hold true to each other," he said as he faced Ironwood.**

 **After a moment, the dwarf put his own hand on Jaune's wrist, and nodded. Jaune then turned to Blake.**

" **We will not abandon Sun and Neptune to torment and death," said Jaune.**

"Alright!" cheered Sun.

"Thank goodness," agreed Weiss, "Jaune's doing the right thing. Neptune, and Wukong shouldn't have to suffer for their bravery."

 **Blake nodded in agreement.**

" **Not while we have strength left," said Jaune before he broke off, and made for his elven dagger by their supplies, tied a bundle to a shoulder, "Leave all that can be spared behind."**

 **He sheathed his dagger, grabbed a silk pack of elven bread, which he tied into his belt, and faced them again.**

" **We travel light. Let's hunt some orcs," said Jaune before he ran off into the west.**

 **Blake noted that the bread was all Jaune took, and she turned to Ironwood.**

" **Yes! Ha-ha!" laughed Ironwood as he got a pack of bread, and ran after Jaune.**

 **Blake smirked, and did the same as her compatriots, and they ran into the west, after the uruks.**

"Looks like they'll be doing their own hunt, now," said Raven.

"More action to come!" cheered Nora.

"Good. This has kind of been dragging on," said Mercury.

"Quiet, you," said Coco.

 **Ruby and Yang got to the top of a hill, and saw a rocky maze, a swamp in the distance, and the Ash Mountains that marked the northern border of Morder. From beyond the mountains was a red glow, and a stormy sky.**

" **Mordor…" began Ruby, "I hope the others find a safer road."**

" **Strider will look after them," said Yang.**

"Why am I still calling him 'Strider?" asked Yang.

"It's the name they knew him by first," said Blake.

"I guess. But you'd think they'd call him by his actual name at this point," said Yang.

" **I don't suppose we'll ever see them again," said Ruby.**

" **We may, my sister. We may…" said Yang reassuringly.**

 **That brought a smile to Ruby's face.**

" **Yang…" she said as she face her sister, "I'm glad you're with me."**

 **The two sisters shared a smile, before they took their next steps to Mordor together…**

…

The lights went up.

"NO! Don't tell me it's over!" objected Pyrrha.

"Yeah! We need to see if Neptune is rescued," said Weiss.

"Or Jaune and Weiss' marriage," threw in Nora.

Weiss blushed.

"Worry not. There are two more to come," chuckled Archie.

That got the audience relieved.

"Though I must say, Mr. Black does have an interesting point. I wonder why Lord Aeon is forcing us to devote so much time to this universe," said Archie.

"Maybe we'll know by the time we're done," said Ruby.

"Maybe…" said Archie.

 **A/N: And so the "Fellowship of the Ring" is done. I'm currently going through the reviews, and seeing which ones I can turn into a vignette for the next chapter, or two.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The scene with Raven and Summer was based on some thoughts I had since Volume 5. Raven's semblance works only with those she has a bond with. Since Tai and Qrow had a bond with her, it stands to reason that Summer had one too. Since I, or, to my knowledge, most of the fandom doesn't know how Summer died exactly, I thought this would be an interesting hypothesis to float out into fandom.**

 **In the film, Sam reminds Frodo that he promised Gandalf he'd look after him. In this story, I changed it to Tai Yang.**

" **You know nothing, Jaune Arc…" is a** _ **Game of Thrones**_ **reference.**

 **I debated whether or not to write up the death scene for Pyrrha, or make it off scree like I did the troll battle a few chapters back. However, I remembered my reaction to it in the theater, and realized I couldn't just make it off screen. I only hope I gave it, and the reactions, justice.**

…

 **Preview: Vignettes Part 2 (A quick break from LOTR)**


	31. Vignettes Pt 2

**I was pleased that everyone liked the first vignette chapter, so I decided to post more in between the LOTR movies. It should be a welcome break, especially for those who are not fond of LOTR. It's also a kind of 'Thank You' for all the readers that have stuck around in support, or for bearing with my binge-mood.**

 **As a thank you, I grant two chapters of vignette goodness.**

 **Again, these are not canonical to the main events of the Archive. These are just ideas that I couldn't make into to a full chapter, ideas that died upon a second or third glance, or requests I decided to do. Furthermore, they are stand-alone stories, and this chapter is a bunch of requests from the reviews.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth. The following franchises are also not owned by me.**

 **Chapter 31 – Vignettes Part 2**

…

 **Resident Evil 2 Remake – Reviewer Request**

 **The scene began with the inside of a jeep. There was a badge that said R.P.D in the front passenger seat, and the driver, a blonde with messy hair and blue eyes, looked forward as the windshield wiper cleared the glass of rain water.**

"Look it's Jaune!" pointed Ruby.

"Obviously. This whole archive is about him after all," said Weiss.

"R.P.D.? I guess Jaune is a police officer in this universe," said Pyrrha.

"Boo…" said Mercury.

"Shut it, peg leg," said Yang.

 **Jaune saw the neon lights of the gas station, and turned on the blinker to signal his intention to turn in. When he drove up the station's driveway, he pulled to the nearest available pump, and set the jeep he drove to "Park." Jaune sat idly in the car for a full minute before he got out of the car, and closed it shut.**

"Why did he just wait in the car?" asked Penny.

"It must be a full-service station," said Winter.

"At this time of night?" asked Velvet.

"Sucks for that guy who works the night shift. He better get extra in tips," said Nora.

 **He looked about, and saw that the station was completely empty. He walked over to a pump, and removed it and put it into his jeep's intake valve…**

"… **No one's around?" asked Jaune to himself.**

 **There was usually a greeter to ask what fuel he needed for filling. Either the gas station was closed, which was impossible, or service really sucked at this station. He then noticed that there was a police car with its lights on, and doors open.**

" **That's weird…" remarked Jaune.**

 _ **Crash!**_

" **Huh…?" gasped Jaune, as he looked to the building.**

 **The lights were out.**

"Well that explains the lack of service. There's a robbery," said Kali.

"A flunked one, if it sounds like the cop got him," scoffed Emerald.

"I bet you'd know all about that," said Sun.

"No, actually. I'm subtle," snorted Emerald.

 **He stepped away from his jeep, and stalked toward the gas station building.**

 _ **SCCCHHHF…**_

 **He looked down at his feet at the sound of a noise that reminded him of melted candy. He then saw that he had stepped upon dried, red footprints that led straight to the gas station.**

" **Blood…?" gasped Jaune.**

"I'm starting to think this isn't a robbery," said Ilia.

"A gang, maybe?" suggested Tai Yang.

"Definitely not," said Raven, "Look at how sloppy those tracks are. If this was a team effort, they'd walk in single file to hide their numbers."

"It'd be street thugs doing this, not organized bandits," said Qrow.

"Amateurs," scoffed Raven.

 **Jaune took controlled steps to the gas station, just like in training, to avoid destroying any evidence… well, any further destruction. He got to the door, and he opened it slowly. The store was pitch black.**

" **Hello? Anybody there…?" Jaune called out into the darkness.**

 **Just as he let his eyes adjust to the darkness, his foot tapped on something as he entered into the building. He looked down, and saw it was a powered on flashlight. He picked it up, and held it to get a better view of the situation. He saw some knocked over merchandise from the shelves, with more bloody foot prints.**

" **Something's not right," was all Jaune could say.**

"Oh? What was your first clue?" snorted Cinder.

For once, none of Jaune's friends challenged the jab at their leader. After all, if bloody footprints didn't set off warning bells, nothing would.

 **Boonng!**

" _ **Graah… Rggh… Grr…!"**_ **Jaune could hear further into the store.**

"Sounds like there's a fight going on," said Ghira.

"Jaune's a trained police officer in this universe. He should be able to handle it," said Ren.

" **Okay, you can do this…" Jaune muttered to himself.**

 **Jaune took a deep breath, and followed the red trail further into the store. He approached the refrigerators before he heard panting. He turned and saw a husky man at the other end of the store. He was manager, based on the man's uniform. The manager was holding his neck, which was bleeding, as he panted for air, and Jaune immediately went to the man's side.**

"That looks bad," said Blake.

"The owner seemed to have put up a fight, at least," said Ironwood.

"He better get help fast, or he'll die from blood loss," said Glynda.

" **You all right?" Jaune asked.**

" **The cop… He needs… help…" was all the man said as he pointed to the open walk-in refrigerator.**

" **Don't move… I'll be back for you," reassured Jaune.**

"He's not going to call for help?" asked Velvet.

"Given the lack of uniform, Mr. Arc appears to be off duty. Therefore, he has no radio on his person," said Penny.

 **The man nodded, and Jaune reached for his hip lifted the side of his jacket hem to reveal a standard issue pistol and unclasped the holster. He kept a hand on the handle, and went into the walk-in refrigerator.**

" _ **Graah… Rggh… Grr…!"**_

 **Jaune heard the earlier noises, and went further into refrigerator as he followed the sounds. He avoided the broken beer bottles, evidence of a struggle, and continued to an almost closed door.**

" **Graah… Rggh… Grr…!"**

RWBY, and all of the students leaned forward with great interest.

 **Jaune got the handle, and opened it slowly.**

" **Stop moving!" ordered a voice.**

" **Graah… Rggh… Grr…!"**

 **Jaune shined his light into the room, and saw a police officer in his uniform hold a suspect to the wall with both his hands. However, it wasn't the restraining method taught at the academy. Rather, it was as though he was holding the suspect at bay.**

" **Officer, do you need help?" asked Jaune.**

" **Stay back, sir, I got this," said the officer as he moved automatically to present one his hands in a halting manner.**

" **GRRAAHH!" the suspect roared.**

 **The suspect pushed the officer down, and was atop him in an instant.**

"He shouldn't have taken his eyes or hand off of the man. He weakened his defense," said Raven.

"He acted according to public safety protocol," pointed out Penny.

"Poor sod… I guess that's one of the benefits of being a huntsman. We don't have to worry about protocol too much," sighed Qrow.

"Ladies and gentleman, a shining example for all future huntsmen and huntresses," said Winter, her voice dripped with sarcasm.

" **Hey, hey!" shouted Jaune as he pulled out his gun, "Get off him right now…!"**

 **The command in Jaune's voice died when he saw the suspect bite into the officer's neck.**

Everyone gasped, and their eyes widened at the sight.

"Um… I wasn't expecting…" began Emerald, who squirmed at the grisly sight of the suspect's ripping and smacking bites.

" **EEYYAAARGGH!" screamed the officer, "Help me…"**

" **What the fuck…?" gasped Jaune, as he shook in fear.**

 **The suspect – the thing that bit the officer's neck tore into the carotid artery, and tore at a chunk of flesh. The officer gasped his last, as the thing began to chew, and swallow the flesh…**

"Wait… is that a…?" shuddered Ghira.

"I think it is…" nodded Kali.

"It's a… a…" gasped Velvet as she shook.

" **Grrr…" it growled, and Jaune saw its face as it was shone with light.**

 **The skin on its face looked like it had been wrinkled and pulled. There was a milky white film over its eyes, which could be seen beneath the messy brown hair. Its nose looked scarred and pulled, and Jaune could see a fresh red stain where's its mouth, and blooded teeth were. It looked human… It** _ **was**_ **human, which made it all the more terrifying.**

"ZOMBIE!" screamed Team RWBY, Jaune's team, and pretty much all the students, Emerald and Mercury.

The adults tensed a little, but didn't freak out as much.

 **It let go of the cop, and got to its feet.**

" **Freeze!" said Jaune as he pulled, and held his pistol and flashlight in tandem like he was trained to do, "I'll shoot!"**

"Don't talk it down! Shoot the damn thing!" shouted Qrow.

"Aim for the head!" advised Tai.

"Ugh, it's movie night at Beacon all over again," grumbled Raven as memories of Tai and Qrow shouting at a TV in the dorm came back to the surface.

 **The thing didn't heed its words, and trudged forward. Jaune closed, and pushed the lock of the door behind him.**

"Why did he do that?" gasped Ruby.

"If Mr. Arc is indeed a police officer, he did that so that if it killed him, it couldn't get out," said Ironwood, "The safety of the public is any good officer's concern."

"How brave…" swooned Pyrrha.

"Ugh…" gagged Cinder.

" **Last warning!" shouted Jaune.**

 **It's mouth opened, and it staggered quickly-**

 **BANG! BANG!**

 **It was knocked back, as Jaune took two shots at the heart, like he was trained… It regained its balance, and moved toward him.**

 **BANG-BANG-BANG!**

 **It took three shots to the head, and a chunks of its face rained down on the floor. It fell back, dead, from the looks of it. He moved to the officer, and checked for a pulse… None. He flipped his body around, and looked at the name tag: Jack.**

" **I better get to his car. Radio to explain the situation," said Jaune sadly, as he shut the man's fear filled eyes.**

 **He made his way over to the door he came from, and tried to open it.**

 **Chk… Chk-Chk…**

 **Jaune looked at the lock, and saw that he pushed it too hard in his initial panic, and jammed the door.**

"He's stuck? Why not shoot the lock?" asked Mercury.

"That's not a good idea. Don't you watch zombie movies? Too much noise draws even more attention," said Sun.

"Well, he wasn't being very discreet a moment ago," pointed out Cinder.

 **He looked about the room, and saw another door. He tried to open it, but found it was locked also.**

" **You've got to be kidding. From the inside?" groused Jaune.**

"What kind of door needs a key to open from the inside?" asked Ilia.

"Such a door would make sense in major technological firm, but it seems excessive in a gas station," said Penny.

" **Okay, think… This is the manager's station, there's got to be a key around here. Let's see the desk," said Jaune to himself.**

 **Jaune made his way around the body of Jack and that… zombie-thing. He saw the manager's desk, and saw a box on the wall labelled "keys" next to the poster of a swimsuit model.**

"Cinder?" gasped Emerald and Mercury.

Cinder, and the audience stared at the model: Cinder with wet hair, with a red one-piece bathing suit with a plunging neckline that was held together with a string.

"Nice…" whistled Qrow, "Except for the fact you're a bad guy."

"Don't you mean bad girl?" asked Cinder sweetly, if a little breathy.

"Uh-uh, I ain't that desperate," said Qrow.

"A shame… I wouldn't mind showing you how _bad_ I am," said Cinder as she showed Qrow a small fire in her open hand.

 **He opened it, and saw four keys hanging: safe, front/back door, bathroom…**

" **Manager's station," said Jaune, and he picked it up.**

 **He stepped over the bodies in the room, and made his way to the other door of the-**

" **Ooh… Grrr…"**

 **Jaune stopped, turned around, and his eyes widened.**

" **No way…" Jaune gasped as the zombie he shot got back up.**

"What?" gasped Blake.

"Headshots don't work?" gasped Ruby.

"Now this got more exciting," said Mercury.

"Better to incinerate the body. There's no chance of getting up after that," said Cinder

"Run, Jaune, run!" said Pyrrha.

 **Part of its cheekbones dangled, and its jaw was now lopsided. Jaune then saw Jack get back up, and he looked equally undead, and hungry.**

" **Shit. This can't be," said Jaune, as he made his way to his escape route.**

 **He put the key in, turned it, and the door opened for him. He shut it, and was about to make his way to the convenience store's entrance. However, he saw the man who was bleeding in the neck from earlier stagger toward him.**

" **Grrah… Grr… Grr…" the zombie growled as its teeth chomped the air in anticipation.**

"He's surrounded!" gasped Kali.

 **Jaune turned to the left to bolt for the door, but a rack of potato chips was knocked over. He was about to leap over it when a zombie he didn't see leapt from one aisles and lunged to bite.**

"Ah! Shit! SHIT! RUN!" shouted Ghira.

"Dad?" gasped Blake at her father's language.

"I hate horror… I HATE horror!" stammered Ghira as Kali did her best to reign her husband in.

 **Jaune though, moved into a jiujutsu throw, and tossed the creature over the cashier bar. He moved down the aisle when he saw the other zombie was too close. He got to the end, and went around it to the front door.**

" **Graa…!"**

 **Two hands shot over the aisle closest to the store windows.**

"SHIT! SHIIIT!" cried out Ghira, Tai, and Ilia.

"Definitely like Movie Night…" sighed Raven.

"Dad, calm down," hissed Yang.

"Yeah, it's kind of embarrassing," said Qrow.

"RUN, JAUNE!" cried Ruby, Nora, and Pyrrha.

 **Jaune ducked. He heard the aisle collapse behind him, but didn't turn around to see. He saw the door, and made for it-**

 **CLING!**

 **The front door swung open, and Jaune trained his pistols sights on-**

" **Wait, don't shoot!" yelped a girl in a red and black jacket, with short black hair with red highlights.**

"Ruby?" gasped Tai, Yang, and Qrow.

"Me?" gasped Ruby.

 **Jaune relaxed, then tensed.**

" **Get down!" he ordered.**

 **The girl obeyed, and Jaune fired a shot into the zombie's forehead as soon as he had a clear shot. It fell back, and landed motionless, but Jaune knew that it wouldn't last. Jaune quickly looked behind him, and exited the building and shut the door.**

" **You alright?" Jaune asked the girl as she got up.**

" **Yeah, I think so… thanks," he heard as he got in front of her, and looked about.**

" **You can thank me later, when we're safe," said Jaune as he nodded toward what he saw.**

 **Zombies were approaching their position in a swarm.**

" **Holy shit…" gasped the girl, and he saw her pull out a revolver.**

"A police pistol with a used magazine, and a six shot revolver…" assessed Penny, "Um…"

"Yeah," shuddered Ruby as her teeth chattered, and left leg shook, "Not good."

 **He noted that she held it like a cop, but that could wait.**

" **EEYYYAAGH!"**

" **GRRROOOR!"**

" **SSSHHEEEYAA!"**

 **The zombie howled as the staggered toward them with chewed faces, hobbled steps, and gnashing teeth.**

 **Clang!**

 **The looked behind them, and saw that the zombies from the convenience store were trying to break down the door.**

" **GYAAH!" it roared.**

"Don't just stand there! Do something!" shouted Weiss.

" **Come on!" shouted Jaune.**

 **He and the girl ran to the cop car. Jaune ducked under a swiping grab from one zombie, while the girl pushed another back. They got into the car, shut the door, and locked it. Jaune saw that the key was still in the ignition in position 2, and he turned it.**

 **VVVRrrrmm!**

 **The car turned on, and he set it to "Reverse."**

" **Hang on!" shouted Jaune.**

 **He hit the gas, and reversed into the clearest path he could find as he looked over his shoulder.**

"Why not run them down?" asked Ilia, a little calmer than she was before.

"And break the momentum of their escape?" questioned Ironwood.

"Not to mention they could damage their vehicle hitting too many… obstacles," said Ren.

"Hmm… Good point," said Ilia.

 **He stopped, set it to "Drive," and hit the gas. He avoided the zombies, and headed down the main highway past a sign that read "Welcome to Raccoon City: Home of Umbrella." As they drove, they took breaths to calm down from the terrifying experience they had escaped from.**

" **What the hell is going on?" shuddered the girl.**

" **I don't know…" said Jaune, a little shaken himself, "Hopefully, they'll have some answers at the police station."**

" **Wait, you're a cop?" asked the girl.**

" **Yeah, Jaune Arc," confirmed Jaune, "You are…?"**

" **Ruby – Ruby Rose," answered the girl.**

 **They drove by in silence, Jaune decided to see if he could get any info.**

" **You live around here?" asked Jaune.**

"Is this not an awkward moment to begin courtship?" asked Penny.

"H-He's not…!" stammered a surprise Ruby, "Penny, he's probably trying to gather intel."

"Ooh… I see," said Penny in understanding.

" **No, looking for my sister," said Ruby, "She's a cop, too."**

"Officer Yang…?" said Weiss, and made noise as though she tasted something strange, "That doesn't sound right."

"I'd make a badass cop!" objected Yang, "On the highway on my motorbike? I'd be a legend."

"I doubt the police would allow a canary yellow motorcycle," said Weiss.

"It'd be pretty awesome, though," said Nora.

 **Not that answer Jaune hoped, but he relaxed a little when he realized the girl was the sister of one of his brothers and sisters in uniform.**

" **Well, it's a good thing we found each other," said Jaune, "I don't know what to expect anymore…"**

 **In the distance, Jaune saw the lights of Raccoon City. Hopefully, they could find help, and deal with whatever was going on.**

 **...**

 **Dante's Inferno Video Game – Reviewer Request**

 **On a field of ice, there stood a towering giant with horns, and bat wings, and a hole of fire in its gut. It had a blank look on its face, and its mouth hung open.**

"Whoa, what is that?" asked Blake.

"A traitor" spat Archie.

"Archie?" questioned Ruby.

None of the audience had seen Archie seem so furious.

"He is of the First Universe and its parallels, but he is the source of all evil in the multiverse. All darkness and sin come from him. He is a being so terrible that the Supreme One himself watches his prison," said Archie.

"That bad?" gulped Pyrrha.

"Yes. We do not speak his name, current or old," said Archie.

 **Jaune stood before a smaller version of the giant. It had all the same features, but had goast legs, torn wings, and tear trails of fire, with a bone scythe lodged into its chest.**

"Did he always look like that?" asked Qrow.

"No… He was once the most resplendent of the Supreme One's servants. The form you see is the result of his corruption," said Archie.

"Looks like Jaune beat him though," said Ren.

"You sure he's that bad? I mean, that fool beat him," said Cinder.

"He is in the lowest level of Hell, trapped in ice. His wings put out the very fires of those pits, and keep his icy shackles frozen. As such, his full power is limited. The being before Jaune is… well, the mind of the traitor, I suppose you could say," explained Archie.

 **Jaune wore a pair of trousers, a single greave, and a pair of pair of pauldrons with metal arm braces. He had a crown of iron, a scarred face, and a red cloth cross sewn upon his chest.**

"What's that sewn into Jaune's chest?" asked Yang.

"A cross. The symbol of the Son of God, and his armor in the depths of darkness," said Archie

"Wow…" said Ruby, not quite sure what else to say.

It was a lot to take in for the Remnant audience, who weren't particularly religious in the institutional sense. Ozpin was particularly floored by the information Archie was giving. He had always feared the Brother of Darkness, but to find that he nothing compared to this being sent a shiver down his spine and in his heart.

 **Jaune moved to get his scythe.**

" **Wait!" the being said, "There's just one last minor detail, with which I ought to make you familiar."**

There was jolt in everyone's spine as the being spoke.

"I don't like him," said Blake.

"He looks bad enough, but when he talks… I feel like I need to shower…" said Weiss.

Even Cinder couldn't help but agree. A fear greater than anything Salem inflicted grew in her heart, and she couldn't wait for this universe to be done with.

 **The being gestured to a circle in the center of the ice, and Jaune looked at it and the being warily. Eventually, Jaune made his way to the circle in the ice, and he looked down. He saw an image of himself in his knightly garb, and a Saracen assassin came up from behind and stabbed him.**

 **Jaune reeled back in shock, at what he saw.**

" **It can't be…" denied Jaune.**

" **You're dead, Jaune Arc," said the being.**

Pyrrha gasped as well, along with the rest of his team.

"Jaune's dead?" gasped Nora.

"It would make sense. If that's the underworld, then I imagine only a soul would be able to travel through it," said Ren.

"That's… really intense. I don't know if I could handle learning I was dead… I don't think anyone could," said Sun.

 **Jaune turned around and saw that the being had incinerated his scythe, and got up to stretch.**

" **You're not going anywhere," said the being, "Not a single soul may leave this place. It is forbidden, by Him!"**

"Him?" asked Weiss.

"The Supreme One," clarified Archie.

"Makes sense. You wouldn't want anything from Hell getting out," said Ironwood grimly.

"So, he's trapped there?" gasped Velvet.

"How did he wind up there, anyway?" asked Coco.

"He went to save his wife's soul," said Archie.

"…Well, that's a reason," said Tai Yang.

 **The being pointed upward, then leaned down to Jaune's level.**

" **I am so sick of you…" it hissed.**

 **The being then walked into the center of the circle where Jaune witnessed his vision of his death.**

" **I will reclaim my rightful place in Paradise," the being continued as it looked upward, "My path will be paved by the sins of Man. And yours, Jaune Arc, shall be the bedrock of my return. And all that is good shall be gone from the Universe, forever!"**

" **Not yet!" declared Jaune, who now faced the being, "I have collected many souls on this pilgrimage. Souls that I have freed from this inferno, and together, they now have the power to free me!"**

"Wait, did he say he could get out?" said Emerald.

"Yes, by enlisting the souls he rescued from their suffering. Such is the power of a human soul," said Archie.

 **The being turned to Jaune in shock, as Jaune lifted his arms and the sewn cross on his bare chest glowed blue.**

" **Father, mother, brothers, absolve me!"**

 **From his chest, the souls of many people flew about, and encircled both Jaune and the dark being.**

" **T-This power, Jaune Arc, we can use it together," the dark being tried to reason with the human, "You and I, friend. Think of what we could achieve."**

" **I would rather not," denied Jaune in defiance.**

"That's right! Focus on kicking his butt, Fearless Leader," said Nora.

" **Jaune… I can reunite you with Pyrrha," tempted the dark being, "Together we will rule the Three Kingdoms of the Afterlife!"**

"No!" shouted Pyrrha, "Don't do it, Jaune."

"Not even to save you?" asked Raven.

"Would I be saved? Or would Jaune fall for a ruse, only for us to be trapped," said Pyrrha.

"Well spoken, Miss Nikos," said Ozpin.

" **It's not going to happen," said Jaune.**

 **Jaune pulled out and pushed a flaming cross into the dark being's direction, and it flew into the fiery hole of the giant. The souls Jaune had summoned then sealed the hole before they moved to the giant's arms. They coiled about its arms, dragged them down through the ice, and they kept coiling until the formed sheets of solid ice that kept the giant locked in place**

" **NOOOOOOOO!" the giant roared.**

"And stay down!" cheered Nora.

"Yeah, way down, where you belong!" said Yang.

 **The souls flew about after they completed their task, and flew into the part of the ice where Jaune stood. Jaune just watched as the giant now stared balefully at him before he looked down into the ice. The scene now moved down past the ice, and, like the image on the other side of a coin, Jaune stood in the nude in a vast desert land.**

" **Jaune…"**

 **The nude Jaune looked up, and saw Pyrrha descend from the heavens on a cloud, equally nude, save for some well-placed cloud wisps that hid her breasts.**

"So, they were reunited in the end," said Ruby.

"It's a good thing he didn't take that thing's offer," said Pyrrha, comforted by the sight.

 **She reached out for his hand, and he took her hand. Pyrrha lifted him up. Jaune closed his eyes as he was engulfed in light, and when he reopened them he beheld a mighty mountain of green with waterfalls that fell into a crystal clear, blue sea. Birds sang in the air, a beautiful forests were abound on all the lands he saw.**

 **...**

 **Asura's Wrath – Reviewer Request **

**A muscled Jaune with markings about his body ran armless through a building as explosions erupted from the structure. One explosion sent him hurtling into the ground outside the building.**

"Is that Jaune? What happened to his arms?" asked Pyrrha.

"Is he a robot like I was before coming here?" asked Penny.

"Soo… Ark's a robot here? That doesn't make sense, robots don't have souls," said Emerald.

" _I_ do!" corrected Penny, "Even when I was machine, I am able to generate my own aura."

"He's not a robot, technically," cut off Archie, "Jaune is a cyborg/demigod."

"So he's got organic elements? Makes sense then – Hang on! Demigod?" asked Blake.

 **Jaune got up, and saw that the explosion got him a fairly safe distance away from the temple structure he was just in. Sparks flickered about the stumps that were once his arms, and he panted for air as he watched temple crumble.**

 **A noise caught his attention, and he saw a young girl being led by an older girl into the temple grounds.**

"Huh… The older girl looks a lot like Pyrrha," said Nora.

"Her eyes are blue though…" remarked Pyrrha.

"A daughter?" suggested Ren.

Pyrrha blushed happily at the thought.

"No," said Archie, "Though, to Jaune, it's a striking similarity to his actual daughter in this universe."

"Oh…" said Pyrrha, "Wait, _actual_ daughter?"

"From several thousand years before these events," clarified Archie.

 **Jaune got onto his feet, and looked at them.**

" **You are alright…" he said.**

" _ **Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…!"**_ **came a booming voice from above.**

 **Jaune's eyes widened and he looked up. A fleet of spaceships were in the atmosphere, and flew overhead in formation.**

" _ **Death to all who defy the seven deities!"**_ **declared a woman's voice from the space ships,** _ **"Your pitiful life ends now! Die!"**_

"Is that Cinder?" asked Mercury.

"Who are these seven deities?" asked Cinder.

"They are demigod cyborgs, like Jaune, who betrayed him. Jaune had been set up for a terrible act in this universe, and Jaune had taken his revenge against them," said Archie.

"Then why should I be bound to serve them?" asked Cinder.

"Serve them…? You are one of them in this universe," said Archie.

Cinder blinked, then a smile formed on her face.

"A cybernetic demigod thousands of years old fighting spaceships? This is a weird universe," said Ren.

"But at least it looks cool," said Sun.

 **Jaune saw shimmering lights from above where the spaceships were, and he saw that they were in fact missiles. He looked to the running girls, and with a look fear, and anger.**

" **NOOOOO!"**

 **The world suddenly flashed white, and fire erupted all around him.**

…

 **When Jaune came to, the world was a mix of between orange, yellow, and brown. He groaned and got up, and his vision adjusted. He felt a massive weight on his body, and used his legs to prop himself up. He pushed the stone slab off his body, and beheld the burning rubble that was once a beautiful temple. Smoke, and ash filled the air, and Jaune looked about.**

 **He gasped.**

 **He saw a feminine hand underneath some of the rubble.**

"Oh no!" gasped Ruby.

"Shit…" was all Yang could say as well.

 **Jaune's eyes shut, and he staggered forward.**

" **RAAAGGGHHH!" roared Jaune as his eyes shot open.**

 **His eyes were now white in color, and they flashed red. The air around him was pushed away, as fire erupted from Jaune's body, and shot into the sky. The beam of fire shot into the atmosphere, and into outer space. The scene shifted to space, where the fire shot into, and a large portion of the grand space fleet that was over the planet.**

"Damn! He's pissed," said Mercury.

"What do you expect? Some girl who looks like his daughter just died in front of him," said Emerald.

"We'd do worse than the kid, right Tai?" said Qrow.

"I'd prefer not to think about a situation like that… But yes, I would," growled Tai.

Raven shuddered a little as she saw how hot – aggressive Tai appeared at the thought of acting vengeful.

'Yes, _aggressive_ , that's it,' Raven thought

 **Meanwhile, back on the ground, Jaune's body had transformed into a red, crystalline body. His arms had retuned as well, and his mouth had jagged fangs and teeth. In addition, four ethereal arms, each the size of a large man, floated behind him.**

Everyone's jaw dropped at the sight of Jaune's power reaching space and destroying space ships.

"Umm… That's a thing," said Tai Yang.

"He is a demigod in this," said Ghira.

"Wow! A potential upgrade!" said Penny with stars in her eyes.

"No!" yelped Ironwood and Winter.

"Really?" asked Penny with a sad, innocent face.

"Sorry, Penny, but that kind of upgrade…" began Winter.

"Would hinder combat performance," cut in Ironwood.

"Yes, exactly!" said Winter.

As Penny looked at the floor a little disappointed, Ironwood and Winter looked as though they dodged a bullet, not mention a massive bill. Penny already had an armory's worth of swords that were controlled with magnetism and aura, and could be arrayed to channel a laser beam from her artificial aura. Having four, plus some of the ideas that Penny's creators wanted to arm the robot with would be overkill in the furthest extreme.

" **RRRRRRROOOOOOO!" Jaune roared to the sky.**

 **Red lightning sparked and arced in the air around Jaune, and he faced skyward. Beams of energy, and bolts of lightning, all red, shot from Jaune's arms, and into the sky. In space large swathes of the space armada were being destroyed.**

 **Jaune saw lights from above, and saw that the ships were beginning to fire back. One of Jaune's giant claws was raised, and a massive orb of dark orange aura formed in its palm. It launched into the sky, absorbed the incoming fire, and travelled into space. Jaune saw a massive flash in the sky, and the clouds overhead disappeared instantly as a shockwave rattled the earth.**

"Hmm if I can't get the upgrade, maybe I can learn to channel my aura like that," said Penny.

"We could practice at the next break later if you'd like?" offered Ruby.

"I'll help. Most of my abilities revolve fine control of aura after all," added Weiss.

"Oh, thank you Ruby, and Weiss. I may actually require it since I currently don't have my usual software to help me manage my aura use," thanked Penny.

 **Jaune looked back up, and saw that the flagship descended into the atmosphere.**

 **It began a bombardment, and Jaune raised all six of his hands. He brought them together, and channeld more of the dark orange aura into a massive ball. He tightened the aura more, and more, and more…**

" **RRRRAAAAAAOOOOOO!" roared Jaune, and he lauched the orb into the sky again.**

 **The orb missed the flagship…**

"How do you miss?" gasped Ilia.

"Maybe that shot was too powerful for him to contain, and he 'fired from the hip' so to speak," said Glynda.

"His rage had made him little more than an incompetent beast," said Cinder.

"I thought I had bad luck," said Qrow.

 **The orb went higher and higher into the sky, then into space, then exploded. What remained of the space armada erupted into fire, and disintegrated into dust and debris.**

"Or maybe, the flagship wasn't the intended target," said Raven.

"Now it's just the flagship and their small retinue. Without the additional firepower, their chances to defeat Mr. Arc has severely dwindled," said Winter.

"Looks like my counterpart is just going to have to deal with him personally," said Cinder, "Since she's one of these demigods, and akin to myself, he will face true-"

 **The flagship suddenly turned tail, and escaped into space.**

"…!" Cinder's jaw fell as she was shocked at the sight.

"Or, she'll just pussy out," laughed Coco.

Everyone but Cinder, and her crew, laughed. Cinder ground her teeth in fury, as fire began to appear around her fists.

"C-Cinder!" yelped Emerald.

"Hot! H-Hot!" yelped Mercury.

Archie sighed, and waved his hands to ventilate the trio's ethereal prison and keep them from cooking.

 **Jaune kept firing though, and took down as many of the ships as he could before they got too far for him to land direct hits. With no one left to Jaune to fight, he did the only thing he could.**

" **RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Jaune roared at the empty sky.**

 **...**

 **Venom Trailer – Reviewer Request**

 **There was a crash site of a space craft surrounded by government officials, where they extracted a cylinder and loaded it onto a truck.**

"More space aliens?" asked Ruby.

"Is it another invasion-based universe?" asked Ozpin.

"No. It's a-" began Archie.

" **Thank you, collectively, for bringing us to this moment," said an elderly voice off screen.**

"Eh… what?" said Archie, a little perplexed.

"Father?" said Winter and Weiss.

 **The truck was escorted by a private security firm to an SDC laboratory that was off the grid.**

"Whoa, that was fast," said Ruby.

" **It is a moment that so many have dreamed of claiming," said Jacques Schnee.**

"I don't see your old man, Weiss," said Yang.

"Where is his voice coming from?" asked Weiss.

Archie approached the VHS, and tapped it lightly.

"That's strange, this one worked well when I first catalogued it," remarked Archie.

"Maybe your machine's messed up," said Raven.

"If that was the case, we wouldn't be able to see anything," said Archie.

 **The truck was opened from the back where Jacques Schnee, and a bunch of scientists, looked at the contents with a smile. The tubes had a black thing that writhed and coiled like a worm, but thicker and spongier.**

" **History starts today."**

"So that's your dad?" asked Ruby.

"Yes…" said Weiss, a frown on her face.

"He looks like the guy on the chicken buckets!" said Sun.

Ironwood snorted as all the faunus in the room laughed. Weiss and Winter had trouble containing smiles of their own.

"You wouldn't believe how often we hear that," said Winter.

 **Jaune was in a restaurant with an arm wrapped around his girlfriend, Penny.**

"Oh my. Given the fact his arm is around me, is it my turn to engage in an intimate relationship with Jaune Arc?" asked Penny.

"I guess it is," said Pyrrha with a sigh.

"I wonder what sorts of thing we do together… Shopping? Dinner? Ooh, perhaps kinky sex?" asked Penny innocently.

Everyone who had food or drink in their mouth spat it out as Raven burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

"Penny, where did that come from?" gasped Winter.

"In my research on how humans interact with one another, the acts couples perform was among the materials I looked into. Are the activities I stated incorrect?" asked Penny, confused.

"Um… No?" answered Ruby warily, "It's just, people don't talk about the third thing too much."

"Ooh, I see," nodded Penny in understanding.

" **The guy you work for is the evil person," said Jaune.**

"Who, Jacques Schnee?" asked Ironwood, "The man can be an ass, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's evil."

"It's true, though," said Ilia under her breath.

" **I don't work for him. My firm works for him," reassured Penny, who then cast an expectant smile at Jaune, "Are you going to behave yourself tomorrow?"**

 **Jaune just drank some whiskey.**

" **I told you, I'm going to do my job," said Jaune.**

"What is his job?" asked Nora.

 **Jaune stood before the SDC main office.**

"Now he's at the SDC? This universe is all over the place," said Coco.

"It's more like a movie trailer," said Mercury.

"Come on, work," groaned Archie as he tapped the VHS a little harder.

" **I'm a reporter," Jaune's voice said, "I follow people who do not want to be followed."**

"So, he's a journalist?" asked Blake.

"That's not going to go well with my father," said Weiss.

 **Jaune was walking alongside Jacques Schnee, with his cameraman, and his producer catching the interview.**

" **What about the allegations that you 'recruit' the most vulnerable for tests that end up killing people?" Jaune asked.**

 **As his cameraman and producer gasped, Jacques made a "cut" motion with his hands, and two large security guards got Jaune by the arms and dragged him away.**

" **You've got to go," said one.**

" **You're finished, Mr. Arc," said the other, as a third got the cameraman's footage.**

" **Is that a threat?" asked Jaune challengingly.**

"Quite right, Weiss. He's one of the more combative reporters that father detests," said Winter.

"If he's done nothing wrong, he's got nothing to hide," growled Ilia.

"There are better ways to get to the truth than just throwing around an inflammatory allegation," scoffed Weiss.

 **Jaune walked through the streets, hands in his jacket pocket. He looked about and noticed he was being followed, and turned into a Mistrali market.**

" **You have to learn to hide in plain sight," said Jaune's voice, "I'm pretty good at it, but you?"**

"Now Jaune's the one with the off screen voice?" asked Ren.

Archie looked behind the VHS and fiddled with some of the wires that led to the screen.

 **Jaune looked to a dark-skin girl in a blue beret, and blue winter coat, and a white scarf.**

" **You suck, whoever you are" said Jaune as the girl in blue looked up at him.**

"Miss Soleil?" questioned Ironwood.

"Partner Ciel!" cheered Penny.

 **The girl approached him.**

" **I work at the SDC," said the girl, "And I need your help."**

 **The same tube from before was shown, and its contents coiled about excitedly under light.**

" **We found something," said Ciel's voice**

 **The tube opened and a faunus in the same room was attacked by it. Jacques and the scientists watched with morbid fascination as it burrowed into the faunus' body, and made it twist and contort.**

Weiss, Winter, Ilia, Blake and her parents, pretty much everyone gasped in shock. Only Cinder didn't flinch, given what Salem gave her to help her extract the power of the Fall Maiden.

" **We call them symbiotes," said Ciel, "Jacques Schnee believes that the union between human and symbiote is the key to our evolution"**

"What does father do here?" asked Weiss.

"He runs a bio-development firm. SDC stands for Schnee Development Company: Developing a Better Future…" Archie clicked something behind the VHS, "There! Is it working properly?"

 **Jaune walked through the halls of test subjects, and looked at one in particular. It was a faunus with bull horns and red hair.**

"Adam?" gasped Blake.

 **The faunus looked up at him, when his flashlight flashed on its head. It roared, rushed through Plexiglas cell, and once it shattered, bit into Jaune's neck.**

 **The alarms went off, and Jaune ran out of the facility. Jaune got to his apartment, and began to take some pills.**

"No Archie, sorry," said Ruby.

"Damn," said Archie.

"Just leave it be. I'm sure we can put things together," said Ozpin.

"…Very well," sighed Archie as he got up and stepped back.

" **I'm feeling really sick," said Jaune on the phone.**

 **Jaune looked in the mirror.**

" **I'm hearing a voice," said Jaune's voice.**

" _ **Jauney…"**_ **a deep, sinister voice said.**

 **Jaune was hurtled into the wall of his bathroom by an unseen force.**

"The parasite thing!" accused Nora.

"It must be sentient to some degree if it can communicate," said Ren, somewhat fascinated by the lifeform.

 **Jaune had his eyes closed, and his hands over his ears.**

" **You are not real. You are just a voice in my head," he said.**

 **He paced about his apartment when there was a knock on the door. Before he could do anything, the door burst open, and three men in black street clothes appeared.**

" **I'm going to need Mr. Schnee's property back," said one of the men.**

 **One of them drew a gun, and aimed it at Jaune.**

 **Jaune's arm immediately turned into black, viscous liquid that whipped man out his apartment window. He looked at the other two, his shocked face matched theirs.**

"Whoa… That's pretty cool," said Mercury.

"Almost like Cinder's arm grimm," said Emerald.

"Hmm… Maybe I should have done that to our dear host while I had the chance," said Cinder.

"It wouldn't have done you much good," said Archie.

" **I didn't mean to-"**

 **His arm turned black again, and he wrapped it around the second one and slammed him into the ceiling. He did a 180 when he punched the third into his kitchenette's wall. When a fourth came through the front with an uzi, the same black liquid shot from his back, and slammed the attacker into the opposite hallway of the apartment complex.**

" **Why would we do that?" asked Jaune.**

"We?" questioned Coco.

"He must be referring to the parasite," said Ren.

"So it's messing with his brain already? That's not good," said Velvet.

 **Jaune walked through the street.**

" **If you are going to stay, you are only going to hurt bad people," Jaune said, seemingly to himself.**

" _ **The way I see it, we can do whatever we want. Do we have a deal?"**_ **responded the same sinister voice from before.**

"Don't let it control you Jaune!" urged Pyrrha.

"Resist it, Jaune," said Ruby.

 **Jaune was on a motorcycle, and was pursued. Immediately, black tendrils erupted form his body, and into the pursuers' cars. The tendrils then whipped up, and tossed the vehicles to the side.**

" **Are you willing to sacrifice the one thing you hold most dear?" asked the voice of Jacques Schnee.**

 **Jaune was strapped to a chair as Jacques looked down up on him.**

" **You should be extremely afraid," said Jaune.**

 **The screen went black.**

" **What the hell are you?" asked one of Jacques' goons.**

 **Jaune, from, the ground was surrounded by the black liquid from the cylinder tube. He grabbed the SDC guard that looked down on him by the neck, and lifted him up. As Jaune got to his feet, the black liquid formed a suit that grew him an extra two feet in height, and large muscles. The most frieghtening change though was the mask that formed over Jaune's face. It had many long, sharp white teeth, and two milky white eyes that were triangular in shape, and narrowed.**

Everyone either marveled, or shuddered at what Jaune transformed into.

"Is that what that symbiote thing transformed him into?" asked Blake.

"That is… AWESOME!" cheered Mercury.

"No it's not, it's horrifying!" said Pyrrha.

"It's like a suit of armor," said Winter.

"A bioweapon…" said Ironwood, "One with a will of its own."

" **We are Venom."**

 **The beast opened its maw, and pulled the man in.**

 **The screen went black, as the man screamed.**

Everyone gulped.

"…So, did Jaune eat that guy, or the thing?" asked Yang.

No one really wanted the answer.

 **A/N: Just requests this chapter. Since Resident Evil 2 is the only on in the list that I know, I had to look up some wikis just to figure out what's going on. It's also why it's a little more reaction-focused.**

 **More stuff in the next one.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **I never played Dante's Inferno, or Asura's Wrath. So the only notably good scenes I could find for them were the endings.**

 **For the Dante's Inferno one, the two devils description Archie gives, was something I came up with from watching** _ **Doctor Who**_ **. Again, I never played the game, so I'm not really sure what goes on.**

" **He looks like the guy on the chicken buckets!' said Sun." comes from a reactor who was watching RWBY. He compared Jacques to Colonel Sanders of KFC.**

 **Preview: Vignettes Part 3**


	32. Vignettes Pt 3

**Part 3 of the vignettes. These ones are not requests, but things I found would be great. After this it's back to LOTR.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth. The following franchises are also not owned by me.**

 **Chapter 32 – Vignettes Part 3**

…

 **Justice League – Rescue at Sea**

 **In the middle of a raging storm at sea, a ship was sinking bow first. The captain in a yellow jacket had to lie just outside the small bridge structure as water was already sinking him deeper into the depths. His radio's wire was stretched all the way with him, and he screamed into it.**

" **Mayday! Mayday!" cried a fisherman into his radio, "Something came down from the sky!"**

"That's such a terrible way to go," said Pyrrha.

"It is. Alone in a storm, in the middle of the sea," said Ren.

"Who fishes in a storm?" asked Emerald off handedly.

"People who need to earn a living," said Tai Yang, "When you've got a family to feed, or bills to pay, you do what you can to make ends meet. Also, it's possible he got caught in a storm. I doubt he got on that small boat and headed directly into one out of his own free will."

 **There was an unintelligible garble of noise in response. The radio fizzled, and he looked back. He saw that the sea had already filled the structure and shorted out his only means of calling for help.**

"Oh no. His only way of calling for help," said Penny.

"Hopefully someone got his distress signal," said Winter.

 **He let it go, and jumped onto the stern side railing.**

" **PLEASE! HELP ME!" cried the man, "ANYONE!"**

 **Suddenly a dark shape leapt out of the water, and landed on the stern of the ship near the fisherman's hands. The fisherman could see no distinguishable features of the long haired individual, save for two eyes that glowed like sapphires under light.**

"Looks like someone got his message," said Kali.

"Is that a mermaid?" asked Nora.

"It doesn't have a fish tail," said Mercury.

"No… That must be-"

 **The scene suddenly changed to the inside of a tavern. Everyone was drinking and laughing to stories, or just drinking and listening to "Icky Thump" by the band White Stripes on the radio. As they enjoyed themselves in their bastion against the raging storm outside, the door burst open. A tall muscular man with a drenched man slung over his back, entered the tavern and dropped the man onto the nearest table, to the shock of the people drinking at it.**

 **They would have all been angry, had the drenched man not coughed out sea water and gasped for air. As many of them were mariners as well, it was to be mad when one of their own had nearly drowned at sea. The man was tall, and muscular, and wore a black muscle shirt, navy denims, and black combat boots, and he had long blonde hair with a trimmed blonde beard, a lot of tattoos under his shirt, and blue eyes.**

"That is Jaune…," breathed out Pyrrha, breathless.

"Nice tattoos," growled Yang flirtatiously.

Tai Yang harrumphed

"Wait, how did he leap out of the stormy water?" asked Ruby.

"Muscles," said other every girl and woman in the audience, except Kali, and Nora.

"You'd need more than muscles to swim through that kind of water," grumbled Sun.

" **Whiskey," said Jaune with a rough voice as he approached the bar, "And one for Ahab, over there."**

" **They came from the sky…" muttered the fisherman as he gasped for air.**

" **To the ocean's rage," said Jaune as he toasted to the barkeep.**

 **He shot his straight glass of whiskey, and slammed it on the table as the alcohol bit his throat in just the right way.**

"Hah… That'll warm you up," cheered Qrow.

"That poor man needs to be by a fire, or heater. He doesn't need liquor," said Winter.

 **He then noticed that there was a green liquid, thick and sticky, on the glass and on his hand. What truly got his attention was how it smelled, faintly, like blood.**

" **That ain't human…" said Jaune.**

" **They came from the sky… I heard a cannon… And they came…" the fisherman deliriously stammered.**

 **Jaune saw the same liquid was all over the man's clothes.**

"So the boat was actually attacked?" thought Blake.

"That's one possibility," said Weiss, "Then again, sailor do have… interesting stories."

"And how many sailors do you know?" asked Qrow, "There's evidence his boat ran in with something. It should be taken seriously until it's proven otherwise."

"…I suppose that's fair," acknowledged Weiss.

 **Jaune looked away in thought for a moment, and he grabbed the whiskey bottle, though he didn't take it until the barkeep let it go.**

" **It's on him," said Jaune as he made for the door, "Time to do some fishing."**

"Wait, he's going out into the storm?" questioned Glynda.

"He rescued that guy somehow. What did you say? _Muscles?_ " asked Ironwood.

"Someone's jealous," said Raven.

"I'm not jealous. I have my own muscles…" bit out Ironwood, though Glynda giggled in disbelief.

 **As he exited the building, he was greeted by the pounding wind and rains of the storm. His hair whipped about, and he took a long swig of whiskey as he walked past a warning sign. The sign was a yellow triangle with a man being swept of his feet by sea water, but Jaune just ignored it and went onto the concrete pier.**

Pyrrha, Ruby, Yang, and Velvet gasped in shock

 **As he saw a big wave approach the concrete pier, he tossed away the empty whiskey bottle, and slicked his hair back. The wave crashed into the platform he walked on, and he leapt into the sea. Jaune though was fine, and rode the wave as it receded back into the ocean, Jaune shot out like a torpedo, and rocketed through the turbulent currents. He didn't need to kick, or paddle his arms. It was as though he was one with the waters, or rather, it was as though the water made way for him.**

"Look at him go!" cheered Nora.

"…That's amazing," said Ren.

"Okay… That's badass," said Sun.

"So, what is Jaune? Is he a mermaid?" asked Ruby.

"Sort of," said Archie, "He's a hybrid of human, and Atlantean. They are an ancient civilization of seafarers from the city state Atlantis before it sank into the sea. Their people adapted to live underwater as a result."

"Incredible," said Pyrrha.

"I bet all those muscles come from underwater resistance training," said Coco.

"That's a possibility. Fish are basically tubes of muscle when you think about it," said Ozpin.

"Tasty muscle," said Blake.

Pyrrha, Yang, and Velvet nodded their heads in agreement, though for different reasons.

 **He swam in a circle, and looked about as he searched for something.**

' **There!' Jaune thought as he perked up.**

 **He shifted direction suddenly, and sent a shockwave through the water as he torpedoed to his target.**

 **...**

 **Anger Management – Monk scene**

 **Jaune looked in shock as several bald monks in orange robes made way for the red SUV he was in. Qrow, who was in the driver seat honked the horn at them, and the monks stepped back a little further.**

"Is that a Mistral temple?" asked Ilia.

Ren's eyes flashed with intrigue.

" **You're kidding me," said Jaune from the front passenger seat, "You're going to make me fight a monk. Great…"**

"Wait, Jaune's going to fight a monk?" asked Ruby.

"Why would he do that?" asked Ren, aghast.

 **Jaune sighed as he got out of the car, and Qrow followed him after a moment.**

"There's your reason," muttered Winter.

"Qrow, why would you make the kid fight a monk?" asked Tai.

"I don't know. I can't figure out what goes on in the other me's head," said Qrow.

"Regardless of the reason, this should be funny," said Raven.

 **The two walked through the monastery grounds until they found a large monk at the other end of a walkway that faced away from them in meditation.**

" **Are you ashamed you never faced him?" asked Qrow.**

" **No," said Jaune, "He was just a kid who was lashing out because his sister got sent to an insane asylum. I'm surprised your 'investigation' didn't uncover that."**

"Face him… Is Jaune is going to confront someone from his past in this universe?" asked Blake.

"I suppose so… But the man's a monk now. I doubt it's going to lead to a fight," said Ren.

 **When the got to the man, Jaune marveled for a moment.**

" **It sure doesn't look like him…" he muttered before he leaned down and tapped on the man's shoulder, "Excuse me, Cardin Winchester?"**

"CARDIN?!" yelped everyone.

"He's a monk in this universe?" gasped Velvet.

"No friggin' way," said Nora.

"Winchester… A man of the cloth?" asked Ozpin skeptical.

"Even the teachers think this is weird," said Yang.

"I didn't know Cardin had a sister," said Ruby.

 **The bald man in yellow jolted, and faced him.**

" **Sorry for waking you up," apologized Jaune, and he let the larger man get onto his feet.**

 **The bald man with blue eyes looked at Jaune thoughtfully.**

" **My name is Panakamanana…" began the larger man, though he nodded, "But, yes, I was once known as Cardin Winchester."**

"Holy shit… He's looks totally different from the jackass who picks on you," said Coco to Velvet, in disbelief.

"I guess…" said Velvet, uncertain.

" **Cardin… uh, Panakamanana…" began Jaune, "I'm Jaune Arc, from elementary school."**

 **A smile grew on Cardin's face.**

" **Jaune Arc…" he said in understanding.**

" **This is the last place I'd find you: a monastery," said Jaune as he looked around.**

" **I guess you could say I've gone through a rather dramatic transformation," said Cardin in acknowledgement.**

"That's one hell of an understatement," said Nora.

"I guess Mister Winchester needed discipline of a more internal nature," said Glynda.

"People can change," said Blake.

"That's pretty supportive of you, all things considered," said Yang.

"I'm an ex-terrorist. It would be very hypocritical of me to accept my change, but not another's," said Blake.

" **Could you excuse us for one second, Peanuts?" Qrow cut in before any more words between the two could be said.**

 **Cardin nodded, and Qrow led Jaune away a few feet.**

" **His name's not 'Peanuts,' it's Panakamana-pea," said Jaune before he faced Qrow, "What do you want me to do, fight him? The guy's a monk! He's not even allowed to hurt a plant."**

" **For Pete's sake, this is the monk that twisted your tits, now confront him already, or you're going to prison," ordered Qrow.**

Everyone's jaw dropped at the information.

"Jaune's going to prison if he doesn't fight him? Why?!" gasped Pyrrha.

"In this universe, Jaune has something of an anger problem. He got into trouble with the law, but the judge told him he underwent anger management classes, he would avoid jail time," explained Archie.

"And they picked Uncle Qrow?" asked Ruby, skeptical.

Qrow felt a blow to his heart.

"…kkh… BWAAA-HAHAHAHA-HA-HA!" laughed Raven as she rolled to her sides, and slapped the ground.

"Yep… That… HAHAHA!" laughed Tai Yang.

"I mean seriously, Uncle Qrow is the last person to teach people self-discipline," said Yang.

"Second that," said Glynda.

"Affirmative," agreed Winter with a nod of her head.

"The city that gave Qrow a license for therapy must have incredibly low stan-" began Ironwood.

"Okay, we get it, no need to lay it so thick!" groused Qrow.

" **Alright, alright, alright. What does this have to do with anger management," he muttered under his breath before he made his way back to Cardin, "Anyways, what I wanted to say to you was… Um, when we were kids, you kind of bullied me around a little bit, and I never really did anything to deserve that kind of treatment."**

 **Cardin had a look of remorse, as he nodded in acknowledgment.**

" **No, of course not Jaune. I was a real cretin then," said Cardin.**

"Hmm… It appears that this place has done Cardin some good," said Pyrrha.

"Of course," began Ren, "This place reminds me the Mistral garden spaces. They are havens for the mind, heart and soul."

"Really? I get the feeling things are going to go bad," said Emerald.

 **Jaune nodded along.**

" **I did a lot of horrible things when I was a kid: I pushed you around, I called you nasty names…"**

" **You pulled my gym shorts down in front of Weiss Schnee," Jaune added.**

"What?" gasped Weiss.

"That sucks for Jaune. It killed whatever his chances might have been," said Nora.

"Yes, how _unfortunate_ ," said Pyrrha, who tried not to smile.

" **That… actually was pretty funny," chuckled Cardin with a smile.**

 **Qrow tilted his head as Jaune gasped a little.**

" **Jeez, uh, I don't think that it was," said Jaune, a slight octave higher than his usual speech.**

" **Now, come Jaune, humor is the spice of life. The look on your face was priceless," said Cardin before he made a face, "** _ **Ooh, Snow Angel saw my Pee-Pee!**_ **Ha-ha!" Cardin laughed as he clapped a hand on Jaune's shoulder.**

 **Jaune's breath began to pick up…**

"Guess he hasn't changed that much," said Blake.

"Yeah, he's still an ass," said Ren.

"Ren?" gasped Nora, surprised by Ren's curse words.

"A true indicator of repentance is that you find none of your past wrongdoings acceptable, or humorous," said Ren.

" **So… Peanut likes the spicy humor?" chimed in Qrow, "Maybe he'd enjoy the knee-slapper you told me earlier about the Great Buddha…"**

 **Jaune blinked at Qrow, and wondered what he was talking about.**

" **Oh, what did you say about Buddha?" asked Cardin with interest.**

" **Jaune said," began Qrow, who looked Cardin square in the eyes, "How does a guy who weighs 600 pounds have the balls to teach people about self-discipline?"**

 **All the monks in the courtyard wheeled to the direction of Qrow, and Jaune, as the blonde paled at what Qrow said.**

"Uh…" began Qrow.

"I'm guessing this 'Buddha' is an important figure in this temple," said Ozpin.

"He's the founder of their spiritual beliefs, and, in certain schools, a divine being," said Archie.

"Shit…" said Qrow.

" **Hey! Let's not make fun of my god, here," objected Cardin, in shock.**

" **I-" Jaune attempted to diffuse the situation, but Qrow cut in again.**

" **You know what Jaune also finds particular, Pecan?" began Qrow, and Jaune buried his face in a hand, "Recalling your nut-job sister struggling with her underpants in a straitjacket."**

Emerald and Mercury burst out laughing, while Cinder tittered to herself.

"Are you making this up?" gasped Glynda.

"Obviously," laughed Raven, "That's the little brother I remember."

"Ah jeez…" Qrow buried his face in his hand, embarrassed that his nieces were seeing a bit of the old him.

 **Jaune looked at Qrow in horror.**

" **Oh, you think that's funny?" growled Cardin.**

" **Jaune used to con her into getting naked by telling her that her clothes were haunted," added Qrow.**

Raven and Emerald became raucous, and Coco added fuel to the fire by giggling herself.

"Coco!" gasped Velvet.

"What? It's pretty funny," said Coco.

"That's heartless!" said Velvet.

" **I-I never said any of that," denied Jaune as he shook his head.**

" **Then he'd pull out his winky, and tell her it was a strawberry ice cream cone, ha-ha-ha," finished Qrow with a laugh.**

"Pfft!" snorted Nora.

"T-That's…" Sun was trying really hard not to laugh.

"…Ooh, I get it," began Penny, "It was a meant to trick her into giving Jaune Arc fellatio."

All the students laughed instantly, though Weiss tried to resist the urge to.

"So much for our disciplined students," sighed Glynda.

"Wait, Ruby, how do you know that word?" gasped Tai as he saw his youngest laugh.

"Yang gave me the talk, remember?" said Ruby.

"Oh yeah…" said Tai.

" **Is that what you've come to tell me?" growled Cardin with a livid expression.**

 **Jaune shook his head in denial, but Cardin looked unconvinced.**

" **Did you expose yourself to my sister?" Cardin asked sharply as he pushed Jaune.**

" **No… And don't shove me, again!" growled Jaune, as the other monks began to crowd around the three.**

"Ooh, looks like Jaune's getting angry," said Yang, a little turned on by the aggressive Jaune.

"You wouldn't like him when he's angry," added Nora.

"Why?" asked Weiss.

"I don't know. It's just something that I thought up of. Ooh, maybe I can use that as a catchphrase," said Nora.

" **It's shower room humiliation all over again," whispered Qrow, "He's giving you a wet-willy, and making you chew on his jock-strap, and fart possum, and all… this."**

 **Qrow backed off, and Jaune took aggressive steps toward Cardin as he breathed angrily.**

" **Answer me, Jauney Boy!" Cardin pushed Jaune with both hands.**

"Don't let him push you around, Jaune!" declared Ruby.

"Yeah! You're not in elementary school anymore!" added Nora.

"Wait a moment. Maybe Arc's not supposed to," said Ghira, "Maybe, in a roundabout way, Branwen started this situation as a test for Arc to keep his temper in check."

"…"

Ghira became uncomfortable at the silent stares he received.

"I doubt it. My brother isn't known for his foresight," said Raven.

"I got better foresight than you," said Qrow.

 **Jaune staggered back, but found his footing, and his face contorted in rage.**

" **Did you get it on with my sister?" demanded Cardin.**

"… **Over and over again," responded Jaune.**

Everyone, even Raven, and Cinder and her crew gasped, the latter four out of surprise more than anything else.

"Holy shit…" said Yang.

"That's not going to diffuse the situation," said Ren.

"If you were right, dear, then Mr. Arc just failed his test," said Kali.

"Indeed," sighed Ghira.

 **Cardin and the other monks gasped.**

" **She moaned like a wildebeest," finished Jaune.**

"Pfft…!" snorted Raven.

"Tee-he-hi…" held in Emerald.

"Well, it can't get any worse," said Ilia.

 **Qrow now appeared in front of Cardin.**

" _ **Wildebeest…"**_ **emphasized Qrow.**

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" burst out Raven

Qrow face-palmed his forehead.

"You had to say something," said Weiss.

"Uhh…" grumbled Ilia.

"Oh no…" shuddered Pyrrha.

"Cardin doesn't look so good…" pointed out Nora.

" **HAAM…" Cardin tried to chant – he punched Jaune in the face, and Jaune fell to the ground, "OH YEAH! Now that felt good!"**

All of Jaune's friends, and those who had taken a liking to him through the whole Archive experience, gasped, and winced.

"Ooh… Ha-ha. That's gotta hurt," said Mercury.

"Get up, boy!" shouted Raven, "I won't allow my blood to be mingled with a person who can't even fight back against a monk!"

Everyone rounded their gaze over to Raven

"Excuse me?!" yelped Yang, who blushed furiously.

"What?!" gasped Tai Yang, in outrage and confusion.

"I didn't realize they were dating," gasped Emerald.

"Wow, you're dating Mr. Arc, sister of Ruby?" asked Penny.

"Not yet…!" "Not at all!" "He's my _partner_!" shouted Yang, Velvet, and Pyrrha respectively.

The three girls then rounded to each other with intense fury.

Cinder laughed at sight.

 **Qrow helped Jaune to his feet.**

" **I wasn't expecting that from a Buddhist," said Qrow as Cardin laughed victoriously.**

"How could you not expect that? You goaded him into breaking what discipline he had," said Ren.

"Yeah! Also, weren't you trying to pick a fight with him to start with?" said Nora.

"Hey yell at the 'me' on the screen," said Qrow.

" **I'm just… a little pissed off right now," growled Jaune.**

" **You okay?" asked QRow.**

" **Yeah… I'm FINE!" Jaune roared as he ran and tackled into Cardin's gut.**

 **Jaune managed to use his momentum to lift up Cardin, and slam him to the ground. The two wrestled, as the monks gasped in horror.**

"Do it! Kick his ass!" shouted Emerald.

"Go for the eyes! The eyes!" shouted Raven.

"Yank his ears off!" shouted Velvet.

"Someone wants payback…" said Coco.

"Yank on my ears, will he?" muttered Velvet darkly.

" **N-No, Jaune!" begged Cardin.**

 **Oddly enough, it was Qrow who got to Jaune and tried to pull him off of the former bully.**

" **I'm sorry," said Jaune, as he pushed Qrow back, "I'm so sorry."**

" **Help me up, brother," asked Cardin as he grasped his nose with one hand, held up the other hand in mercy.**

"It's over?" sighed out Emerald, "That's disappointing."

"Yeah, it was actually getting pretty good," said Mercury.

"I don't know… Even though it's Cardin, it felt wrong watching Jaune fight a monk," said Ruby.

"I thought it was why it was funny to start with," said Cinder.

"You would, Scary Lady," said Ren.

 **Jaune grabbed Cardin's outstretched hand, and helped him up.**

" **We're even…" said Jaune, "We're even now… I'm so sorry…"**

" **I started it…" cried Cardin, "I started it…"**

"You think this is why he picked the fight? Get them to revisit their childhood, and fight it out, and shit?" asked Qrow.

"It's a possibility. Why ask?" asked Ironwood.

"I don't want to think there's a me out there that hasn't grown out of being a total ass, even though that's likely impossible," said Qrow.

"Uncle Qrow…" said Ruby, and Yang sympathetically.

" **Again, I'm so sorry for how this turned – OWWW!"**

 **Cardin had head butted Jaune in the face, and Jaune fell onto his back.**

" **Now we're even, Jauney Boy!" shouted Cardin, before straddled Jaune, "What's that…? It's the twister!"**

 **Cardin pinched Jaune's nipples through his shirt and gave a hard twist.**

" **ARRGGGHH!" cried out Jaune in pain, "Nooo!"**

"The ceasefire has been broken!" declared Nora, "This will not stand!"

"Get up, you bum! Knock out his teeth!" added Emerald.

"Break his legs!" shouted Pyrrha.

"Ooh, that's the spirit!" gushed Nora, happy Pyrrha finally came around.

" **Hey, Peanut!" shouted Qrow, "You're sister's back!" Qrow wrapped his arms around himself, and shook his body,** _ **"Ooh, I have Casper in my clothes! Ooh!"**_

"Qrow…" groaned Glynda.

"Hey, that aint me!" responded Qrow.

"Quite, Glynda," said Ozpin, "The Qrow we witness before us, hardly went through the maturity ours did."

"Thanks, Oz," said Qrow.

 **Cardin growled at Qrow, and Jaune used the distraction to knee Cardin in the balls. Cardin tumbled forward and rolled off behind Jaune. Cardin though got to his feet, grabbed a wooden rake, and charged at Jaune.**

"Look out!" gasped Ruby.

 **Jaune ducked under the swing, and got behind Cardin. He lifted Cardin's robe over his head, and brought Cardin's head low. With the robe lifted, Cardin dropped the rake as his underwear was on display for all the other monks to see.**

"Ha-Ha! The tables have turned! Now his underwear's on display!" hooted Sun.

Ironwood, and Winter, chuckled as the lighter memories from Specialist training came back.

" **You want that rake? You can't get that rake! You can't get that rake!" taunted Jaune as he tried to spin Cardin about, "He's got a heiny! He's got a heiny!"**

"Okay… T-This is too much…" chuckled Ghira.

Kali and Ilia were also laughing.

 **The other monks were mixed between laughing, and gasping. Sudden Jaune realized that he was no better than Cardin from before, and he slowed the spinning and let go. Cardin righted himself up, and Jaune took a step back, with his arms in surrender.**

" **I'm sorry. Friends?" asked Jaune.**

"Aww… It was just getting good," said Mercury.

"Please. It was childish and immature," scoffed Weiss.

"At least Jaune decided to be the bigger guy, and apologized," said Ruby.

 **Cardin looked at his fellow monks laughing at him.**

" **You suck!" shouted Cardin.**

 **Jaune punched Cardin in the face, and knocked him face first in the ground. He wasn't done yet though. Jaune bent over, and grabbed Cardin by his underwear, and yanked it.**

" **Wedgie! Wedgie!" hooted out Jaune.**

Everyone but Ruby, Glynda, Weiss, and Ozpin laughed.

"Vengence… Sweet Vengeance!" cackled Velvet.

" **I've seen enough!" shouted the abbot, and he made his way over.**

" **Hold it right there!" shouted Qrow, who pulled out a gun, "This party's by invitation only."**

"Drawing a gun on a monk…?" gasped Ruby.

"I didn't know you had it in you, little brother. I'm so proud," said Raven… sincerely?

"Hot…" said Cinder, to the shock of her two subordinates.

"Fucking hell…" grumbled Qrow.

 **Jaune heard the commotion, and was shocked when he saw Qrow with a gun.**

" **Pow, Pow, Pow…" said Qrow as he fired off what turned out to be a water gun, "Run kid, run!"**

"NICE!" said Raven, Emerald and Mercury.

Qrow actually smiled at that part, and had to hide a chuckle.

 **Jaune followed Qrow, as they were chased out of the monastery by a mob of monks. They got into the SUV, and drove like the wind. As they put distance between them, and where they came from, they had a laugh.**

" **I can't believe you gave that monk a wedgie!" crowed Qrow.**

" **I know, right?" laughed Jaune.**

" **You showed his ass off to the other monks too! He's gonna be so embarrassed!" jeered Qrow.**

" **Yeah! I almost feel bad for sleeping with his sister, now!"**

 **Qrow stopped laughing, and looked at Jaune with a shocked expression.**

Everyone was floored by the words Jaune said.

"So… Cardin wasn't the only ass in this?" gasped Sun.

"That's messed up…" shuddered Emerald.

"He stuck his dick in crazy?" gasped Ozpin.

"Sir!" yelped Glynda in shock.

"… **You actually got it on with a crazy chick?" asked Qrow.**

 **Jaune looked at Qrow, and snorted.**

" **Y-You should see the look on you face!" chuckled Jaune.**

 **The two erupted into laughter.**

Everyone watching though, sighed in relief.

 **...**

 **Potential Future – Preview**

" **Just my luck" said Jaune.**

" **Ready to lose, Vomit Boy?" asked Yang.**

" **Are you sure we can't do a do over?" asked Jaune.**

"Are me and Jaune in a competition?" asked Yang.

"Well, this should be decisive," said Weiss.

"Weiss, don't be mean," said Ruby.

" **Nope," said Nora, "You drew the straw, so you're the one who gets to do this. For the honor of JNPR!"**

" **RWBY for the win!" challenged Ruby.**

" **Even if you win here, we'll still beat you in the tournament!" declared Nora.**

"Nuh-uh! We're going to win the tournament," objected Ruby.

"Maybe when you're in junior-year," taunted Nora.

" **Hmph, we'll have you know we've come up with number of strategies to best you," sniffed Weiss.**

"Quite right!" declared Weiss.

" **Same," said Ren.**

Ren nodded along, and Pyrrha giggled at the exchange between their two teams.

" **Alright, little darlings," began the waitress who presented Yang and Jaune with some papers, "I'll need you to sign this here waiver, before we get started."**

"A waitress, and a waiver… A food eating contest?" asked Kali.

"Oh man… This'll make me hungry," said Mercury.

"Is that all you think about?" asked Emerald.

"Just showing you the gateway to my heart – OOF!"

"Was that tasty, my love?" asked Emerald sweetly as she shook the pain out of her fist.

Mercury held his jaw, and Cinder chuckled.

 **Yang got hers and signed with big bold letters.**

 **Jaune tentatively got his, and signed with a sigh.**

" **Thank you," said the waitress, who then turned to the rest of the diner, "Let's begin the Shish Ka-Beer challenge."**

"The Shish Ka-Beer challenge? NICE!" shouted Sun, "Sage, and our classmate Arslan did that just last week."

"I've heard of that one. Yatsu and Fox thought they could do it, but the spices were too much for them to handle," said Coco.

"I remember the smell more than anything else," said Velvet with a wrinkled nose.

 **Jaune and Yang were each presented with four, heavily spiced shish kabobs on yard long skewers. The skewers looked like swords with wooden handles, and the spices were so thick that Blake had to hold a napkin to her nose, and she stood a good ten feet away from the place of the competition. To accompany their food, they were each given four, large pitchers of chilled beer.**

"Damn…" whistled Qrow.

"The spices must be really intense if you're on the other side of the restaurant, Blake," said Ruby.

"The napkin won't help," said Velvet.

"If we go to this place, I'll get tea somewhere else," declared Blake.

" **Rules are simple. First to finish four skewers, and the four pitchers, in one hour wins. There are no refills, and all scraps and drops need to go down your gut. First to tap out, or hurl, loses. Winner gets a picture on the wall, a commemorative T-Shirt, and a year of meals for free," said the cook, "Ready?"**

"I don't understand," began Penny, "Why would someone risk the smooth functioning of their digestive track in this way."

"It's a guy thing… plus Yang," said Blake.

"Hey!" yelped Yang.

Ruby, Qrow, Tai and Raven chuckled a little bit.

"Uh… Arslan's a girl," said Sun.

"Fine, boneheads do it," said Ilia.

"I suppose," said Penny.

 **Yang and Jaune both took a breath, and nodded.**

" **BEGIN!" yelled the cook as he hit the timer.**

 **The screen went dark...**

"Hey! Where's the contest?" objected Yang, "I wanna see myself kick Jaune's butt!"

"And watch you pig out? No thank you," said Weiss.

"Ditto," said Blake.

 **Jaune stirred from slumber, and turned about in a soft bed.**

" **Huh…? A bed…?" asked Jaune groggily.**

 **Then he groaned.**

' **I lost didn't I?' he thought.**

 **He shifted his weight, and saw his scroll on an unfamiliar nightstand. He picked it up, and swiped the screen.**

" **Wait, I won?" gasped Jaune.**

"He won?!" gasped everyone, even Pyrrha and Ruby.

 **He saw a picture of him, lushed out, but with Nora and Pyrrha holding up his hands in triumph. His skewers were clean, and the beer pitchers he had on his side were empty. In the background he saw Yang had her face buried in a bucket as Weiss and Blake patted the bombshell's back.**

"Oh, come on!" shouted Yang.

"How did Jaune win?" asked Ren, "I mean, he always tries to eat within the calorie count."

"That's my influence. I'm trying to get Jaune into prime shape, which includes his diet. You should see what he could put away before our training," said Pyrrha.

"I… I must have had a snack before this, or something," grumbled Yang.

"Someone's a sore loser," said Nora.

"Am not!" objected Yang.

" **Nice!" said Jaune, "Huh, some text messages?"**

 **Jaune opened his inbox, and his face paled.**

" _ **I can't believe you stole one of the Vale Crown Jewels from the National Museum! I knew I was right to name you 'Fearless Leader!' Scratch that. You are King of the Castle XDXDXDXDXDXD!"**_ **was a text from Nora.**

"Mr. Arc stole what?!" yelled Ozpin.

"The National Museum has some of the most advanced Atlesian security available," gasped out Ironwood.

 **Jaune looked at the floor and saw a golden scepter with silver vines running up the handle that turned into a lily at the tip of the scepter with a brilliant, flawlessly cut diamond.**

" **The King's Sceptre?" gasped Jaune.**

"Wow… Now that's a way to a girl's heart," said Emerald.

"Uh… How's Jaune going to put that back?" asked Ruby.

"He'd need an intermediary. Otherwise, they would arrest him on sight," sighed Glynda, who dreaded the potential paperwork.

" _ **I swear… You owe me big. Do you know how much of a hassle it was to help the pound round up all those mutts from the illegal dog fights you laid waste to? :(**_ _ **"**_ **was a text from Blake.**

"Aww… Jaune rescued puppies," cooed Ruby.

"No, he saved mutts," said Blake.

"And he busted a crime ring? Sweet!" cheered Sun.

" _ **Thanks for the help last night. If you ever want us to return the favor, come by the club. We'll have a private room for us to use. XOXO…XXX ;)"**_ **was a text from…**

" **Who are the Malachite Twins?" asked Jaune. Then it hit him, "T-T-Twins?!"**

Pyrrha felt a chill at the thought.

"NICE!" praised Tai and Qrow.

"Men…" scoffed Raven.

"Wait, those twins from Junior's club?" stammered Yang.

"What did he do for them?" asked Blake.

"He must have done something to get them interested like that," said Coco, with a snicker.

" **Mmm… Too early… Come back to bed, sweetie…" said a sleepy, feminine voice.**

"W-What…? Ilia?" gasped Blake.

"Me?!" gasped Ilia at the same time as Blake as she felt ice in her heart, and an emptiness in her gut.

 **Jaune blinked, and looked down as a skin made contact to skin. He saw a tan hand with brown spots with a gold band on its ring finger had grasped his wrist. He then noticed that he was naked, save for a gold band on his own ring finger.**

"He got married? To Amitola" corrected Weiss, as she balked upon realizing who the girl's voice was.

"Umm… congratulations?" offered Nora.

"I… I'm not…" stammered Ilia, who turned blue all over her body.

Pyrrha's eye twitched.

 **Jaune followed the arm, and it led to a petite girl with tan skin and spots on her face. She had long auburn hair that was all over the pillow, was equally naked with only her lower body covered by the sheet they shared, and her modest bare breasts exposed as she rolled onto her back. As she breathed, her spots seemed to change color. He also noticed a dust whip on the bed, a scroll set to record on a tripod near the bed, and a White Fang mask.**

"Sleeping with a terrorist? Talk about balls," said Mercury.

""B-But… I…" growled Ilia as her skin shifted to purple, with red spots.

" **Oh shit…" gasped Jaune.**

 **The girl stirred at last, and blinked…**

"…"

"…"

 **The girl's eyes twitched as it moved up to meet his.**

"…"

"…"

 **The girl sat up, and took in the scene, each head of the turn made her jaw open slightly more. By the time she looked back at Jaune, her eye was twitching, and she had horror etched in face.**

" **Um… Hi, um, sweetie?"**

"NO! I'm a _lesbian_!" shouted Ilia.

"Really?" gasped Blake, Pyrrha, and Yang.

"He talked the pants off a lesbian?" asked Qrow.

"…Nice," said all the other men in the audience, minus Ozpin.

"Guys, don't be gross about this!" said Ruby.

 **Ilia saw the ring on Jaune's finger, then looked at her hand, and saw a matching band.**

" **KYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" screamed the girl, her skin turned green, and her spots shifted from red to purple to blue.**

 **...**

 **Guardians of the Galaxy – Dance Off Bro**

 **In a pile of rubble beneath a spaceship, Jaune and a woman with green skin named Gamora looked up at a blue alien with a black cowl, black armor, and a war hammer with a purple gem stone. Behind the two were a crowd of people, some alien, and some human that watched the scene in fear.**

"Whoa, are those space aliens?" asked Mercury.

"It's not the first group we've seen," said Ruby.

"Yeah, the first ones were a bunch of genocidal maniacs," said Yang.

"Planetwide takeover?" asked Tai.

"Yep!" said Yang.

" **Behold!" shouted the blue alien, "Your 'guardians' of the galaxy!"**

 **Jaune saw Rocket, a genetically altered raccoon with a tactical jacket, behind the blue alien. Rocket and Drax, an alien with green skin and red markings in only boots and pants, were gathering parts from the wreckage.**

"Is that a raccoon?" asked Emerald.

"Yes," said Archied, "His name is Rocket, and he was genetically modified in illegal experiments."

"And the other one?" asked Raven.

"The green woman's name is Gamora; she's an assassin. The green and red one is Drax, a vengeful man who wants to kill the villain of this situation, Ronan," said Archie as he pointed at the one with the hammer, "Ronan is attempting to destroy the planet."

"With a hammer?" asked Nora.

"A hammer that contains a relic of creation, equally capable of destruction.

" **What fruit have they wrought?" mocked Ronan, "Only that my father, and his father shall finally know vengeance. People of Xandar, the time has come to rejoice and renounce your paltry gods!"**

 **The people of Xandar gasped.**

" **Your salvation is at hand!" shouted Ronan as he raised his hammer, "ISHALKA YAAL!"**

" _ **Ooh, child, things are going to get easier…"**_

"What the…?" began Raven.

"Is that singing?" asked Weiss.

 **Ronan stopped, and looked to the side. Jaune had gotten to his feet and started to sing and dance to "O-O-H Child" by Five Stairsteps.**

"What is he doing?" gasped Blake.

"He's dancing…" said Winter, dumbfounded.

"I can see that, but why?" clarified Blake.

" _ **Ooh, child, things will get brighter!"**_ **sang Jaune as he pointed to Ronan, "Listen to these words."**

 **Ronan blinked in utter confusion, and the green girl looked flabbergasted.**

 _ **Ooh, child, things are going to get easier,**_

 _ **Ooh, child, things'll get brighter.**_

" **Now bring it down hard!" declared Jaune, before he did the Running Man dance,** _ **"Someday…"**_

" **What are you doing?" asked Ronan in a state of shock.**

" **Dance off, Bro. Me and you!" said Jaune as he put a hand on his waist and thrusted his hips.**

"A dance off? To save the universe?" questioned Weiss, with a disbelief.

"That sounds so stupid," said Emerald.

"What do you expect from an idiot?" scoffed Cinder.

"But they're 'guardians of the galaxy,' shouldn't it be dance off to save the _galaxy_?" asked Penny.

"Universe makes it sound more epic," said Ren.

"That's right," said Nora.

 **Jaune kicked the air, and flicked his arm. Ronan tilted his head in total confusion. Jaune then extended a hand to Gamora.**

" **Gamora!" he called.**

 **Gamora shook her head as she held the injury at her side. Ronan looked to the green girl, then back to Jaune, with an increasingly furious expression.**

" **Subtle," said Jaune as he withdrew his hand, and continued to dance solo, "Take it back.**

"That was pretty blatant," corrected Ilia.

"Wait a second…!" piped up Ruby, "I think I know what's going on."

"You do?" asked Pyrrha, who couldn't figure out Jaune's actions.

" **What are you doing?!" shouted Ronan in fury.**

" **I'm distracting you, you big turd blossom," said Jaune casually as he danced on.**

 **Click-KEEEEN**

 **Ronan turned in the direction of the noise, and saw that Drax had a rifle connected to a machine. Rocket the Raccoon put two wires together with a toothy smile, and the rifle fired a round into the hammer Ronan held, which released a purple stone from its confines.**

"A distraction!" declared Ruby.

"Well, it's the most novel distraction I've seen," said Ghira.

"I agree… it worked. I totally forgot that that raccoon was putting something together," said Ozpin.

"Same…" said Glynda with a flustered voice.

Her reputation as "ever-watchful" had taken a big blow.

 **Time seemed to slow as Jaune immediately lunged for the stone at the same time Ronan tried to catch it.**

" **NO!" screamed Gamora as she reached out for Jaune.**

 **Jaune was a second faster than Ronan, and Gamora, though, and his hand grasped the stone. Immediately, a purple light flashed, and dust and wind whipped into a frenzy.**

" **AAAHHH!" screamed Jaune, as the light of the stone shone through his hand.**

 **His skin was starting to crack, peel, and burn, then repeat the process over and over again.**

"JAUNE!" gasped Pyrrha, and Ruby.

"You said that thing is a 'fragment of creation.' What exactly is it?" asked Ren.

"Do you know what a singularity is?" asked Archie.

"A black hole?!" gasped Ozpin.

Everyone did a double take at Archie's words.

"Are you saying he's holding something with the power of a black hole?" gasped Glynda, "Won't that rip him apart?"

"Watch…" was all Archie said.

 **She stone then sent flares through his hand, blasting and cauterizing his hand repeatedly, as he writhed in pain and agony. The pain was such that his own nerves forced his body up onto his feet.**

" **AHHHH! EEEYYYYYAAAAAAARRRGGHH…!" gasped out Jaune, but he could no longer make any noise due to the strain on his vocal cords.**

 **Soon more cracks to his skin began to form, and the light from the stone itself shone from within, as though its fire was burning through his whole body.**

"Is he going to blow up?" asked Mercury, a little tense.

"NO! He has to let it go!" said Pyrrha.

"If that stone makes contact with the planet, the planet will be ripped apart," said Archie.

Pyrrha went white in the face.

"So… He has to hang on. Or everyone dies?" asked Tai Yang.

"Watch…" urged Archie.

" **Jaune! Take my hand!" shouted Gamora.**

 **Jaune turned to her direction, but in his mind that was not what he saw. His vision had him see past time, and space toward… a hairless woman with cerulean eyes in a hospital gown and bed, recovering from her chemotherapy.**

" **Take my hand, Jaune…" the woman said with an outstretched hand.**

" **Mom…?" gasped Jaune.**

"He's seeing his mom? How?" questioned Blake.

"Maybe his life's flashing before his eyes," said Emerald.

" _ **Take my hand!"**_

 **However, Jaune blinked, and his mother vanished.**

 **Instead, he saw Gamora with her offered hand. Jaune slowly reached out to it, and took it. Immediately, Gamora stood straight and rigid as the energy of the stone now poured into her.**

"So if more people hold onto it, the power distributes," observed Winter.

"It's like a release valve," said Glynda.

 **As her skin began to crack and glow also, Drax came to the other side of Jaune. He slowly made his way to him, as the winds and dust from the stone's torrential energy limited his movements. When Drax got to Jaune's side though, he clapped a hand on Juane's shoulder, and his body did the same as Gamora. However, among the three, the pain stone inflicted upon them lessened, and their bodies began to relax somewhat.**

"It appears to be working, but they need more help," said Ghira.

"There's still the vermin," said Raven.

"The raccoon? I don't know; it might turn into roadkill… stonekill?" said Qrow.

"Don't be clever. You suck at it," scoffed Raven.

 **At that moment, Rocket finally got their side, and he reached up for the fingers of Drax's lowered arms. Rocket grasped the fingers, and the energy shot through his own body also. And while the little raccon's body began to crack and splinter at first, it all stopped. The pain was no longer as intense, and the four began to relax a little as they faced Ronan with confident, poised stances.**

"Guess the rat lasted," said Mercury.

"Archie did say it was genetically altered, and engineered," said Penny.

"Holding onto one another… So what, the power of friendship saves the day?" asked Emerald.

"Hell yeah!" declared Nora.

"As long as they don't sing, I can deal with it," scoffed Cinder.

" **You're mortal…! How?" gasped Ronan.**

" **You said it yourself, bitch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy," said Jaune.**

 **Ronan, enraged, prepared to swing what was left of his hammer. However, Jaune merely opened the hand that held the stone, and the stone shot a blast of energy that coiled, pierced, and burned through Ronan's body.**

" **AAAAAAAGGGHH!" screamed Ronan as the unbridled power of the stone was released upon him.**

 **BOOM!**

"Yeah! They save the day!" cheered Ruby.

"Man, that was nuts to see," said Yang.

"I guess Jaune's a protector of the galaxy now," said Pyrrha.

"Talk about a promotion," said Nora.

 **Ronan's body had cracked, and exploded into nothingness. Afterward, Gamora reached for an open spherical container, and put it over the stone. Immediately, the container closed around it, and the energy stopped flowing. The four released air from their lungs, and panted as the pain began to leave their system.**

 **Behind them the cheers of the people of Xandar roared in joy, and they all stood a little higher with pride.**

 **...**

 **Devil May Cry – Jukebox Pizza scene**

 **In an office space with a staircase that led to upstairs apartment was a desk, a white coat with yellow crescent moons on the back on a coat hanger, a pool table, a jukebox, door to the office bathroom and a ceiling fan.**

 **BRRRRIIiing… went the phone by a box of pizza, and a pair of pistols, one black the other white.**

"Pizza sounds good right now," said Nora.

"Yeah…" agreed Mercury, Ironwood, and Qrow.

"I can make more," said Ren.

"Us too…?" asked Emerald.

Ren looked to Archie, who nodded.

"…Sure," said Ren.

 **BRRRRIIiing… BRRRRIIiing…**

 **Jaune walked out of the door leading to the office bathroom. He wore blue jeans, black boots, fingerless black gloves, and was totally shirtless. He had nothing to cover his muscled chest and abs, except for a red jewel that hung on a necklace.**

"Hello…" said Pyrrha, Yang, Velvet, and Coco.

"Needs more chest hair," said Kali, as she leaned into Ghira.

Blake glanced over to Sun, then back to the screen when Sun's head turned.

"Weird… I thought someone was staring at me," said Sun.

 **He dried out wet blonde hair with a towel, little droplet of water ran down his rock hard chest and abs.**

Weiss, Winter, Emerald, Cinder and Glynda licked their lips a little.

 **BRRRRIIiing… BRRRRIIiing… BRRRRIIiing…**

 **Jaune made his way to a fallen chair by the desk and kicked it into the air. It spun until it landed on it legs.**

"No way," said Mercury in disbelief.

"How was he able to calculate such a maneuver?" asked Penny.

"I don't know, but that was awesome!" said Ruby.

 **Jaune parked himself on the chair, and landed his feet hard onto the desk. The force of this action caused the phone to pop up into the air, and land in his open hand.**

" **Sorry, not open for business yet," said Jaune cordially, before he tossed the receiver onto the phone base before he reached for a slice of pizza, "I haven't even picked a name for this joint, and I'm already getting calls."**

"So, Jaune opened a business?" asked Blake.

"I don't know what he's selling, but I'll buy it," said Coco.

"I'd browse…" said Pyrrha.

"Pathetic. If you want him that badly, pounce on him," scoffed Raven.

"Noted…" said Pyrrha, Coco, Yang, Velvet, Emerald, and Cinder.

"Yang…" warned Tai, Qrow, and Ruby.

 **As he bit into his pizza, the door to the office opened. At the door was a man with buzzed hair, a white suit with red tie, and a white mask with black and red markings.**

"It's that guy with the chainsaw from the train," said Weiss.

"The one who knocked you out?" asked Blake.

"Yes," growled Weiss.

" **You a customer too?" asked Jaune as he chewed his dinner.**

 **The man said nothing, and just stood at the door.**

" **Well… if you want to use the bathroom, help yourself. Toilet's in the back," sighed Jaune.**

" **Is your name Jaune, Son of Sparda?" asked the man in a low voice as he approached the desk.**

"That's not the name of Jaune's dad," said Ren.

"Alternate universe, Ren," said Nora.

"So who is his dad in this universe…?" asked Pyrrha.

"In a moment…" said Archie.

 **Jaune tensed a little, but kept his composure.**

" **Where did you hear that?" Jaune asked.**

" **Adam Taurus…" said the man.**

"Adam's in this?" asked Blake.

"Looks like he knows Arc in this universe too," said Ilia.

"I'm sure Jaune can handle the jerk that stabbed you in that other universe," said Yang.

 **Jaune narrowed his eyes at the man, but said nothing.**

" **He sent this invitation for you," continued the man as he slid his hand underneath the desk, "Please, accept it."**

 **The man raised his hand, and the desk hurtled into the air. Jaune was also in the air, but he somersaulted at the exact moment the desk was lifted, caught one of the pistols that was on his desk, and landed onto the upturned desk gracefully after it landed. He held his pistol, gangsta-style, and took aim at – no one…**

"Seriously, who holds a gun that way," said Qrow.

"It looks cool," said Sun.

"It's dumb. If you got a shit grip and an unsteady wrist, the recoil could mess up your arm. Don't even get me started on how that recoil could affect aim," said Qrow.

 **The man had vanished.**

 **Jaune twirled and tucked the pistol into the back of his pants, and got off the desk.**

" **Invitation, huh?" said Jaune as he held his hand out.**

 **The pizza box landed on his hand, followed by the pizza slices, perfectly.**

"That's physically impossible," said Penny, "Gravity, resistance from the air, and-"

"Boring! We don't need to hear a physics lecture," cut off Mercury.

"Don't cut off Penny, chicken-head!" defended Ruby.

"What did you call me?!" yelled Mercury as Emerald laughed and Cinder tittered.

"Thanks, Ruby," said Penny.

 **He picked up the slice he started eating a moment ago, and was about to get another bite when suddenly there was ripple in reality.**

 **CRASH**

 **Reality shattered like glass when four demons with scythes appeared, and drove their scythes into Jaune's body.**

"Jaune!" gasped Pyrrha, Ruby, Yang, and Velvet.

 **The pizza box, landed to the side, and the half-eaten slice landed perfectly into it, somehow. One of demon's looked at Jaune, but was punched with so much force by the blonde that it's head fell off as the rest of its body slammed into the opposite wall.**

"Wait, he has four scythes in his body! How did he…?" gasped Weiss.

"You remember that universe, where Jaune was part grimm?" began Archie, "To answer your earlier question, Miss Nikos, Jaune's father in this universe is a demon lord named Sparda who sealed the king of Hell, and his legions in the underworld."

"…Oh. Well, that's a thing," said Pyrrha.

"Part grimm? Big deal," said Cinder.

"You're an artificial hybrid," said Archie, "I'm talking about a natural-born, hybrid."

"Wait, so…" began Emerald.

"They can shapeshift into humans," cut off Archie.

 **The other demons looked at their fallen comrade then back to Jaune, who caught the head, and spun it on his finger like a basketball.**

"That's pretty cool," said Ghira.

"Yeah… As long as he doesn't slam dunk it on the floor. That'd be gross," said Sun.

"Dribbling it would also look weird," said Tai Yang.

 **Two of the demons let go of their weapons as Jaune walked over to the pizza box. The fourth demon was dragged along with his weapon, which was still stuck in Jaune's body along with the other three scythes, though Jaune kicked backward, and knocked the creature into the other two.**

 **He leaned down to pick up the half-eaten pizza then made his way to the jukebox. The demons followed him, but kept their distance. However, Jaune frankly ignored them, and removed three of the blades from his body before he tossed the fourth into the ceiling fan. As his wounds instantly regenerated, and the fan collapsed on the remaining three demons.**

"Well that's one way to take care of an assailant," said Raven.

"Look how quickly his wounds regenerate. It looks almost like the repair system that father wanted to give me," said Penny.

"The nanobot-repair modification?" asked Ironwood, "As useful as it would have been, it would have interfered with many other systems you had."

"I know…" said Penny sadly, "Hopefully the technology can be improved, so that I can get the upgrade down the road."

 **Jaune pointed his finger to the ceiling.**

" **This party's getting crazy! Let's rock!" declared Jaune dramatically.**

 **He pushed a button on the jukebox…**

"…"

 **He pushed it again…**

"…"

 **He pushed it two more times…**

"Jaune's more of a showboat in this universe," said Ruby.

"He's just confident," said Nora, as Ren and Pyrrha chuckled.

 **Jaune looked behind him, and saw that the three demons had rearmed themselves. As the assailants looked to one another in confusion, Jaune made a fist, and banged the jukebox down. The music player lit up, and a record was put in place. As a rock melody began to play, Jaune tapped his feet to get in the groove, and the assailants approached from behind.**

 **More demons appeared, and Jaune simply nodded along with the music, and put the pizza slice in his mouth.**

 **One demon attacked, and Jaune caught the scythe in his arm.**

 **He twisted his arm, and broke the blade off, and backhanded the demon into dust. He caught the blade of a second demon with his leg, and broke that off too, before he retracted his leg to deliver a kick that pulverized the second attacker.**

 **He used the blade in his arm to cut through a third assailant's scythe pole, which sent the weapon flying and killed a fourth attacker. Meanwhile, the third attacker was killed by the scythe blade in Jaune's arm, and Jaune kicked a fifth and drove the blade into the demon's back. He delived a backward strike with the scythe in his arm into the face of a sixth attacker, before he grabbed the pizza slice in his mouth, and he bit off a piece.**

"Is he seriously fighting, and eating a pizza at the same time?" asked Blake.

"Looks pretty awesome to me," said Tai.

"It's silly, is what it is," said Winter.

 **He twirled, and reached for his pistol in his back, and spun it to deflect a seventh attacker's scythe. He whipped the gun back, and stuck into the demon's mouth.**

 **BANG!**

 **It dissolved to dust, and Jaune leapt in the air to avoid an attack from behind. He landed hard on his attacker, and saw the other attackers close in on him. Jaune planted one foot on the ground, and kicked off to ride the enemy like a skateboard to grab his second pistol, still on the floor by the pizza box.**

"Okay, now that's pretty cool," said Ren.

"I want to skateboard on my enemies! You think Ursa would be a good choice…? NO! Too bulky, with a lot of fur. The friction would alter the ride…" listed off Nora.

"Beowolves might be better for whatever it is you're planning," said Blake.

"Don't encourage it, Blake. I'm still trying to figure out how the physics of this world makes a lick of sense," said Ilia.

" **Yahooo!" hooted Jaune as he rode the body of his eighth attacker, and delivered a dual pistol flurry.**

 **Dust fell all about him as demon after demon dissolved upon their deaths. One demon broke the legs of the pool table, and turned it into a ramp. As Jaune approached the wall, he kicked it and sent himself and his ride up the pool table with a demon in pursuit. Jaune leapt off demon before it crashed into the ceiling and crumbled into dust. Jaune landed on the pool table, and catapulted the demon on it into the ceiling along with pool balls. Jaune shot the white ball, and it collided with the other pool balls that, somehow, clustered together.**

"What?! That's ridiculous!" declared Raven and Glynda.

"No friggin' way!" shouted Mercury in disbelief.

"I don't know… I thought that was cool," laughed Qrow.

"Right?!" cheered Sun, and Coco.

 **The demons were all hit with the balls that collided with them directly, or through a ricochet effect. As the balls took care of the demons, the momentum of using the catapult had launched a massive claymore into the air.**

"So the sword was underneath the pool table?" questioned Pyrrha.

"If that was protection for his store… office… whatever he has, shouldn't such a weapon be near the front desk?" asked Weiss.

"Weiss, just enjoy the awesomeness," said Ruby.

"I can't. I'm with Penny and Amitola, nothing makes sense here!" shouted Weiss.

"Miss Schnee you use a crystal to alter gravity," began Archie, "I'm sure other universe would look at yours, and wonder how dust and semblances work."

"That's a fair assessment," said Ozpin.

 **He caught it, and sliced through the pool table with the sword, and then kicked the pool table, so that the two halves killed two more demons.**

" **Hmph, don't bet on it," scoffed Jaune cockily.**

 **He charged the remaining attackers with a pistol in one hand, a claymore in the other, and a mad cackle from his mouth.**

…

 **A/N: So ends the brief break from LOTR. I already have the next vignettes planned out. Two of them are** _ **300**_ **and** _ **Avengers: Infinity War.**_ **If you want to skip LOTR, just read the opening of next chapter, which will have the general timeline of when the next vignette takes place.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **I didn't change the characters in** _ **Guardians of the Galaxy**_ **, except for Star Lord, because I thought it would keep with the theme of a human with aliens saving the universe.**

…

 **Preview: LOTR: The Two Towers.**


	33. LOTR-TT: Three Pronged Journey

**No, I'm not dead, and neither is this story. Sorry for the late update, but I've been thinking about how the rest of this universe will play out, and also looking for universes for Cinder and crew to star in. I know I'm focusing heavily on Lord of the Rings, but this won't be the only universe I binge on. I have one or two more ideas for a "Binge Session," but I'm still working on how to work them into the greater plotline.**

 **The next vignette segments will be after** _ **The Two Towers**_ **, and will be about five – six chapters from now. So for those who aren't fond of** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **, keep an eye on the story summary. I will write when they're up.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, a brief announcement. I've been pretty faithful to the movies, but for this leg of the trilogy on, I'll be taking a little more from the books. Not too much, I like the movies after all. Also, the castings will be pretty surprising for some of the fans.**

 **I also want to thank two people. Reviewer Korrd, whose suggestions on Ch.29 has made things easier. The other is Zeroth17, who helped with the design for Gollum.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 33 – Three Pronged Journey**

After some quick bathroom breaks for the good guys, and getting pizza and popcorn for everyone, even Cinder and her crew, Archie lowered the lights.

"Let's see what's next," said Ruby giddy.

"I hope me and Neptune are fine," said Sun.

"Neptune, and I," corrected Weiss.

"Same thing," shrugged Sun.

 **The scene opened to Ruby and Yang as they slept peacefully on their comfortable patch of ground. Given their location, Emyn Muir, had a lot of sharp rocks, and rough patches of dirt, it wasn't easy. They had spent so much time looking for a decent area to rest that their bodies went to sleep immediately.**

"We're up first!" said Ruby.

"Makes sense. The ring is important and all," said Yang.

"Looks like they're in that rocky area from the last moments of the previous part," said Tai.

"That does not look like ideal camping terrain," said Ironwood.

"Maybe in terms of comfort, but such terrain can offer several advantages, if you can find them," said Raven.

"Such as…?" asked Kali.

"Narrow passages for funneling enemies, alcoves for shelter from the elements, that sort of thing," said Raven.

 **However, as they slept, a shadow creeped over the rocks, and the wind blew slightly to reveal two glowing eyes that looked at them. It began to crawl down the rock, and the clouds parted to reveal what it was.**

Memories of the mine resurged instantly.

"Is that…?" began Emerald with a gulp.

Cinder leaned forward with interest and fear, and Mercury tensed a little, worried about his boss' reaction.

 **A creature, pale in skin color, with sinewy muscles along its long arms and legs, and emaciated to the point one could see the clear shape of bones. Its body was covered by two mismatched rags, one that was wrapped tight around the chest and the other was a loincloth that might have been fur or leather at one point. Its hands and feet had fingers and toes that were a little longer than normal digits, and weathered to aid in gripping the wet stone. The nails on its hands and feet were longer than those of Elves and Men. They would have been claw-like, yet they were not too long, and there was a bluntness to them that no mere orc would have for orcs would want to intimidate as best they can. Its last feature was a mop of faded ebony hair that barely hid two shining eyes of milky white.**

"Cinder…?" gasped Emerald.

Everyone did a double take as they looked at the creature, and back to the woman in red. Cinder went pale, and was utterly speechless…

"Mercury…?" began Cinder.

"Yeah?" asked Mercury before she shoved her plate of pizza into his lap.

"The smell… Get rid of it," said Cinder as she subtly clenched her stomach.

"S-Sure thing," said Mercury, who began to eat it as Emerald quickly scarfed down hers as though she too had been given the order.

" **They're thieves… They're thieveses…!" it hissed as it climbed down slowly, "They're filsy little thiieves!"**

"Her voice…" gasped Weiss.

"She sounds mad – er, crazy, I mean," said Velvet.

"If I recall Miss Goodwitch's earlier narration, the ring poisoned Fall's mind. Is this a part of it?" asked Winter.

Cinder's face tightened as she frowned.

 **It got closer to Ruby and Yang.**

" **Where is it…? Where is it…?" it growled as it got closer, "They stole it from us… My… Precious…"**

Ruby held onto Yang, and Yang wrapped an arm around her little sister.

 **It was now in arm's reach…**

" **Curse them… We hates them… It's ours, it is… And we wants it…"**

 **It reached for Ruby's head-**

"Eek!" yelped Ruby.

" **RAAAGH!" Ruby and Yang lunged up from their sleeping positions, and grabbed the creature by the arms.**

" **EEE…!" shrieked the creature as it was pulled down from the rock.**

"So, it was a trap?" asked Pyrrha.

"They must have figured they were being followed," said Qrow.

"My counterpart mentioned as much back in the mines," said Ozpin.

"Or, maybe it's because she was talking loudly to herself," suggested Sun.

"That's a fair possibility," agreed Coco.

 **It landed hard, but the creature pulled and pushed Yang off of it, before it pushed Ruby to the side. Ruby saw it looked about as it reoriented itself, and then it stopped and stared at her. Ruby saw the creature's face revealed. The shape of the face was somewhat womanly, but it had bulging bug-like golden eyes. Its exposed teeth, what was left of them, were broken and ragged atop of black and purple gums, and the mouth seemed far too wide for the hobbit's comfort.**

"Shit… Is that what that ring does to people?" asked Yang as she looked between the two.

"After prolonged exposure, yes. Her nature aside, to see such beauty turn into this twisted form is quite a shame," said Archie.

"She looks like an addict…" said Coco.

"An apt description, considering her obsession," said Glynda.

"Hrk!" gagged Cinder, sickened by her counterpart's appearance.

"Cinder!" yelped Emerald who hesitantly put a hand on Cinder's back.

Cinder was about to lash out, but sighed in relief as Emerald began to rub gentle circles on her back.

 **Its eyes were transfixed, before it narrowed. Ruby looked down, and saw that the ring and slipped from her shirt, and dangled from her necklace.**

"Oh dear," said Ghira.

"Hide it, quick!" said Nora.

"It's a little late for tha-" began Ren, but his words were silenced.

 **The creature lunged at her, but Ruby caught its wrists before it could grab the ring. She struggled to push the creature back. However, it was pulled back by Yang, who grabbed its leg. The pressure was taken off Ruby, but not for long when it kicked Yang back and made a second lunge. Ruby pushed hard, but the creature was desperate, and it was able to touch the ring…**

"No!" yelped Ruby.

"Unhand her!" shouted Penny.

"Kick her off!" threw in Nora.

 **Yang came around again, and wrapped an elbow around the creature's neck.**

"Go me!" cheered Yang.

 **As Yang pulled though, the creature grabbed Ruby, and tossed her aside with the aid of Yang's swing.**

"Um… Oops?" said Yang apologetically.

"It wasn't your fault. She grabbed Ruby at the last second," reassured Blake.

"Thanks, partner," said Yang, relieved.

 **Ruby then saw it struggle out of Yang's hold and climb back onto the rock.**

"And stay out!" declared Ilia.

"I… I don't think it's over yet," said Tai uncertainly.

 **Instead of escaping though, it lunged back onto Ruby's prone body from the high ground.**

"But… it lost the element of surprise. A tactical retreat is the logical thing to do," said Penny.

"You've clearly never met someone with an obsession," began Qrow, "Our pal's counterpart wants that ring. You think she'll let an opportunity to get it back slip away after so long?"

"No," said Blake, who was reminded of Adam's "Struggle" against humanity, "She'll hound them till she gets it back, or until she dies."

Ruby gulped nervously.

 **Yang immediately ran to Ruby's defense, and pulled the creature off of her. The creature quickly elbowed Yang in the face. The blow loosened the blonde's grip, and the creature spun around and bit Yang in the neck.**

" **AGH!" shouted Yang.**

"Eew! Gross," gagged Yang.

"Indeed, who knows what kinds of things she's put in her mouth," said Weiss in disgust.

Emerald shot the heiress an unseen glare, but a glance from Mercury prevented her from saying anything. He nodded to Cinder, and Emerald simply gave Cinder gentle pats to help her calm down.

 **Ruby saw the creature then scramble about to Yang's back, and pulled her down. It locked its legs around her waist, and its arms about her neck, and used it's body to constrict Yang in a sleeper hold.**

 **Shee-**

 **Ruby had drawn Sting, ran to the two, and yanked the creature's hair and pointed the blade's tip to its throat. Immediately the creature slacked it's hold on Yang's neck.**

" **This is Sting! You've seen it before, haven't you, Gollum…?" declared Ruby in a threatening manner.**

 **Gollum hissed, her eyes filled with hatred.**

"Back when my counterpart found the ring," said Tai, who recalled Glynda's narration.

"Guess she remembers who stole from her," said Ilia.

"Girls always remember who cross them," said Kali knowingly.

"Yes, they do," agreed Winter.

All the girls, except Cinder, seemed to nod.

"Um… Is it me, or do I feel a chill?" asked Sun.

"You aren't the only one," sighed Qrow.

Ozpin, Tai, Ironwood, and Ghira nodded as well.

" **Release her, or I'll cut your throat!" warned Ruby, and she edged the sword closer.**

 **Gollum hissed again… but relented. Ruby saw that Yang had gotten out of the loosened hold, but kept her eyes on Gollum.**

" **Grr… rrreeEEYAA…" Gollum began to cry.**

"Disgusting…" spat Cinder, "How am I so…?"

"I-It's another universe, Cinder," explained Emerald.

Cinder ignored her though, as the sick feeling she got earlier felt stronger.

 **The scene was now morning, and Gollum was now trailing after Ruby and Yang with Yang's rope around her neck like a leash.**

" **EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYaaaaaahhh… EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAA… It burns! It burns us!" squealed Gollum.**

 **Gollum tried to pull on the rope in an attempt to slacken the taught cord, but her hand retracted as though she had tried to grip hot iron. She instead collapsed, and tried to crawl away, like a dog that refused to be walked. Yang gave an irritated jerk on the rope, and Gollum slipped onto her back. She tried to scramble away, but Yang was merciless in her attempt to pull her in.**

" **It freezes us! Nasty elves twisted it! Take it off us!" screamed Gollum as she tried to pull the rope in resistance.**

" **Quiet you!" shouted Yang.**

" **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYAAAAHHHH!" squealed Gollum in pain.**

Everyone, save Raven, Ozpin, Ironwood, and Glynda, felt it was hard to watch. To see someone in so wretched and pathetic a state…

"I… Is it wrong that I feel bad for her?" asked Penny softly, with discomfort in her voice.

"I'd say 'Yeah,' but…" began Yang.

"It's not bad, per se," began Blake, "It's not something I'm sure I'd do, but that just shows how big a heart you have, Penny."

"I suppose…" said Penny.

" **It's hopeless!" shouted Yang, "Every orc in Mordor is going to hear this racket! Let's just tie her up and leave her!"**

" **NO!" howled Gollum, in fright, "That would kill us! KILL US!"**

" **It's no less than what you deserve!" retorted Yang.**

 **Gollum fell onto her back and writhed about in pain. All the while Ruby watched on, a sad expression in her eyes.**

"… **Maybe she does deserve to die," said Ruby softly to her sister.**

Ruby gulped a little when she heard her counterpart.

"Is she going to…?" began Ilia.

"Executing it would be the safest choice," said Raven.

"It?' That's a person!" objected Ruby.

"How is that a person? Look at it! It should be put out its misery" frowned Raven.

" **But now that I see her… I do pity her," finished Ruby.**

"My counterpart's words…" said Ozpin as he remembered.

"I guess when the chips are down, not everyone can make the call," said Tai, relieved.

He wasn't so sure he could watch Ruby kill, especially after seeing that possible granddaughter of his.

"It's a mistake," growled Raven.

 **Gollum appeared to have heard, for after a moment, she stopped writhing and faced Ruby on her knees with a smile.**

" **We'll be nice to them, if they be nice to us," said Gollum, before she held the rope and presented it to the sisters, "Take it off us…"**

 **Yang's lip curled in disgust, and the pity in Ruby's eyes was quickly replaced with suspicion as she frowned. Gollum shrank, and lowered her head.**

" **We swears to do what you wants. We swears!" pleaded Gollum**

" **There's no promise you can make that I can trust!" declared Ruby.**

"Then why are you entertaining it?" asked Raven incredulous, "Kill it now, while it's vulnerable."

"Her name is 'Cinder!" objected Emerald.

"No it isn't! It's 'Gollum' now. You're just too blind to see!" shouted Raven.

Emerald held her gaze, and stared Raven down from across the room before both women tired and huffed away.

 **Gollum looked up, got back onto her knees, and acted in a manner the hobbits could vaguely recognize as courtly.**

" **We swears to serve the master of The Precious," said Gollum, "We will swear on… on… on The Precious."**

 **Gollum gave a ragged smile before she coughed.**

" _ **Gollum, Gollum…"**_ **Gollum hacked.**

Cinder cringed.

" **The ring is treacherous," began Ruby, "We will hold you to your word."**

Raven face palmed.

"I can't help but agree with Branwen," said Winter, skeptical of the decision.

"She hasn't agreed to anything yet!" said Ruby in defense of her counterpart.

" **Yes…" nodded Gollum as she crawled toward them, "On The Precious…" Gollum looked at Ruby in the eye, "On The Precious…"**

" **I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" objected Yang angrily.**

 **Gollum scrambled away, but Yang grabbed the rope and tugged hard. Gollum slipped off her feet, and fell on her back hard.**

" **Yang! Yang!" shouted Ruby as she grabbed her sister by the shoulders.**

" **She's trying to trick us! We let her go, she'll throttle us in her sleep!" explained Yang.**

"Finally! Some sense," said Raven.

"Yeah… Can't believe I'm saying this, but Raven's got a point," said Yang reluctantly, "She wants that ring back. She shouldn't be trusted."

 **Ruby pondered Yang's words, and mulled over what she had to say. Ruby then made her way over to Gollum. When Gollum noticed her, she shrunk back in fear as Ruby looked down on her.**

" **You know the way to Mordor?" asked Ruby flatly.**

"… **Yes?" shuddered Gollum.**

 **Ruby crouched down so she was at eye level with Gollum.**

" **You've been there before," she said as she looked Gollum in the eye.**

"… **Y-Yes," answered Gollum, her eyes distant and on the verge of tears.**

 **Ruby took a breath, and removed the leash from Gollum's neck. Yang gasped as Gollum stared dumbfounded. Ruby turned to Yang.**

" **We need a guide Yang. We've been going in circles for days," said Ruby.**

 **Yang reluctantly nodded, and sighed.**

" **You will lead us to the Black Gate," ordered Ruby in a firm voice.**

"So they were lost this whole time?" asked Weiss.

"Didn't they take a map with them?" asked Blake.

"Maybe they forgot it when they ran away," said Mercury.

"They didn't run away!" objected Ruby, "They just got the ring away from the others to keep them from going crazy. I just hope she didn't make a mistake trusting _her_."

Cinder growled at Ruby's last sentence.

 **The scene was now of Isengard.**

 **The scene moved through one of the windows, and saw Arthur with his eyes closed, and a hand over a sphere of black glass.**

 **The black glass had the Great Eye within it.**

"What is that?" asked Weiss, intrigued by the beautiful object.

"It's called a palantir, a sort of crystal ball crafted by the elves and used for communication," said Archie, "Jaune is familiar with them from his time fostered by Lord Nicholas."

"Looks like Arthur's receiving instructions from his overlord," said Ozpin, who noticed the eye.

 **Arthur removed his hand from it, and exited out one of the doors. Outside, he was greeted by a squat, burly orc, who bowed to him.**

" **Walk with me, foreman," said Arthur.**

" **Y-Yes, milord," said the orc as he hobbled after Arthur.**

 **Arthur exited the tower, and moved to one of the pits for inspection. He saw the forging of swords, pikes, and armor, and his eyes lit when he saw hundreds of his creations,** _ **his**_ **Uruk-hai, being harvested from the earth from membrane sacks by the dozens. Some of them bowed when they saw him as they emerged, and Arthur smiled.**

"It's like an assembly line, even the uruks," gasped Glynda.

"Fully grown, and combat ready…" shuddered Penny, "I imagine, that in a term of numbers, these creatures would outpace any other army in terms of development."

"Yes," said Archie, "Humans reproduce normally in this world. Elves are long-lived, reproduce slowly, and are monogamous and loyal to their partners to the point that even if their partner dies they rarely ever remarry. However, Dwarves are the slowest to reproduce, since women make up only a third of the overall population at least."

"Yeesh, that's intense," said Sun.

"It's amazing none of those three races have been overrun yet," said Ghira.

"I imagine that where the three races lack in numbers, they make up for it in strategy and discipline," said Ironwood.

 **Arthur had returned to a viewing platform the overlooked the grounds when he turned, and saw the foreman, attentive and silent, perk up.**

" **I want them armed, and ready to march in two weeks!" declared Arthur.**

"That's quite a deadline when you consider the pace of those creatures being born," said Kali.

"Would that even be possible?" asked Ilia.

"They're already combat trained," said Ironwood, "Drilling, and instilling discipline is always what takes the longest when it comes to new soldiers. It's just a matter of outfitting, and organizing."

"All the better for them to kill people sooner," muttered Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha…" began Nora sympathetically.

"It's fine. It was hard to watch, but I'm starting to accept what I saw," said Pyrrha.

"We're here for you regardless," said Ren.

"Thanks," said Pyrrha sincerely.

 **The orc gulped, and lowered his head.**

" **B-But, my lord, there are too many," began the foreman in a submissive tone to show no intended disrespect, "They cannot be all armed in time, we don't have the means."**

" **Build a dam, block the stream, work the furnaces** _ **by day**_ **!" answered Arthur.**

 **A lot of nearby orcs winced.**

"What? They don't like the day shift?" asked Velvet.

"From what I can see, all their mining equipment must be underground. My parents told me that one of the worst things working at the SDC mines was the heat. It's like working in an oven, especially with fire dust," said Ilia.

"It's not that," began Archie, "Orcs fear the sun, and prefer the darkness."

"Oh… Well, there goes my explanation," muttered Ilia.

"… **W-We don't have enough fuel to feed the fires," said foreman.**

 **Arthur turned to the foreman, who shrunk… Then Arthur saw it.**

" **The forest of Fangorn lies just on our doorstep… Burn it!" ordered Arthur.**

 **The foreman, and other orcs looked in the distance, and saw vast hills of green trees just past the river.**

" **Yes, my lord!" said the foreman, who then began to bark orders to the other orcs.**

" **Rohan shall be the first to fall," said Arthur with a smile as he walked back to the tower.**

"Rohan?" asked Nora.

"Sounds like the name of a kingdom," said Glynda.

"It is one of the great kingdoms of Men in this universe," said Archie.

"What's great about it?" asked Cinder.

"Feeling better?" asked Archie.

"No… But I have no intention of entertaining you with me retching my stomach," growled Cinder.

"Gross," said Ruby and Yang.

Archie shrugged.

"Rohan boasts the finest cavalry in all of Middle Earth. Even the knights of Gondor acknowledge them as the masters of horses," said Archie.

"Horses? Great…" said Winter unamused.

"Do you really detest riding so much Winter? It gives such a liberating feeling," said Weiss.

"It is the horse's smell I detest, not the feeling," said Winter.

 **The scene changed to the rising light of the sun over a vast plain. There, the light shone upon a man with blonde hair in a Ranger's garb as he lied down.**

"Yay! Jaune!" cheered Ruby.

"About time we got to him," said Coco.

"What's he doing?" asked Pyrrha.

 **Jaune, atop a strip of bedrock on a hill, laid as though he were asleep. His breathing was even, and was as still as stone, save for his fingers which curled to turn his hand into a fist.**

"… **Their pace has quickened," said Jaune, who then got up, "They must have caught our scent."**

"Was he tracking?" asked Sun, "It looked like he was taking a nap."

"I've have heard of tribes of hunter gatherers that feel for vibrations in the earth to hunt their prey," said Ironwood.

"They usually use knives stuck into the ground for that method of tracking though," said Raven.

"Well, it doesn't matter. As long as me and Neptune are rescued, that's enough for me," said Sun.

"Neptune, and – You know what, never mind," sighed Weiss, who chose not to correct the faunus' grammar.

" **Hurry!" shouted Jaune over his shoulder as he ran ahead.**

 **Several yards behind Jaune, Blake perked up, and looked behind her.**

" **Come on, Ironwood!" shouted Blake as she ran to catch up.**

 **Even more yards behind Blake, Ironwood panted as he rested on one of his axes, which now doubled as a walking stick. He was winded, and his tongue hung out of his mouth as he gasped for air.**

"Looks like someone's out of shape," teased Qrow.

"It's the plate armor. It clearly weighs a lot," said Ironwood a little too quickly.

"…And maybe the legs?" ventured Ilia.

Qrow and Raven burst out laughing, as Ironwood grumbled. Glynda did put a hand on his shoulder, though she did giggle a little at his expense.

" **Three day's and night's pursuit… No food… No rest…" gasped Ironwood before he gulped, and moved into a jog, "No sign of our quarry, yet one bare rock can tell."**

"They must have had a snack at some point. There's no way you could maintain a grueling pace like that without calories," said Tai.

"Maybe it's a running lunch?" asked Ruby.

"Ugh, those are bad," said Blake.

"Yeah, they make your stomach bounce while's there's food in it. Not good," said Yang.

 **Ironwood broke out into a run, and was able to catch up to the elf and man. It didn't last for long though. As the hours dragged on, Ironwood fell more and more behind. It wouldn't be until noon when Jaune relented in his pursuit. He saw a glint of green, and slowed his steps to crouch down, and investigate.**

" **Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," said Jaune as he picked up a leaf brooch.**

 **Blake peered over Jaune's shoulder.**

" **They may yet be alive," said Blake, relieved.**

"Thank goodness," said Blake and Weiss, relieved.

"Oh yeah! We're still in it!" cheered Sun.

 **The two began to run, though slowly as Jaune examined, and ran his fingers on the brooch.**

"… **Less than a day ahead of us, come!" said Jaune as he pocketed the brooch, and broke into a run.**

 **Crash!**

" **Ooh!" groaned Ironwood from behind.**

 **Blake turned around and saw that the dwarf had stumbled, and got back up.**

" **Come, Ironwood! We're gaining!" said Blake.**

" **I'm wasted on cross-country!" shouted Ironwood as he ran to catch up, "We dwarves are natural** _ **sprinters**_ **! Very dangerous over** _ **short**_ **distances!"**

"So it is the legs!" said Penny.

"Penny, please…" groaned Ironwood as Qrow, Raven, Ozpin, Glynda, and even Cinder and her group laughed.

 **The three went up a hill, and stopped when Jaune stopped to catch his breath.**

" **Why have we stopped?" asked Blake.**

" **Now, now…" wheezed Ironwood from behind, "If the man wants to stop, and let his dwarven friend catch his breath, I say let him."**

 **Jaune smiled a little, before he nodded to the vast plains, and rolling hills.**

" **Rohan, Home of the Horse Lords!" declared Jaune, "To think those creatures took us this far is so short a time… Blake, what do your elf eyes see?"**

 **Blake squinted, and looked about.**

"… **The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" answered Blake.**

" **Arthur…" growled Jaune, who turned to Ironwood, "Sorry, friend, but we need to keep moving."**

" **Very well," said Ironwood as he hefted his axe, "I'll be sure to** _ **thank**_ **the uruks for the fine bit of exercise they've given me."**

 **Jaune smiled, clapped Ironwood on the shoulder, and led their hunting party yet again.**

"Looks like there's still a way to go to get them back," said Velvet.

"It's progress made. That's what's important," said Ghira.

"I hope they catch up before those things take them to that evil wizard," said Ruby.

"Yeah, who knows what he'll do to them," agreed Blake.

 **Sun and Neptune jerked awake upon the backs of their captors as they suddenly stopped. They were dropped onto the ground, as they saw the uruks, and a band of orcs stop for air. It was night out, and they looked around their moonlit surroundings to see that they were by a forest on a hill next to rolling fields.**

" **We're not going no further… till we've had a breather!" shouted an orc as it gasped for breath.**

" **Get a fire going!" ordered an uruk in agreement.**

"Wait a second… I'm pretty sure it was just those uruk things that attacked them," said Mercury.

"They must have rendezvoused with another team at some point," said Emerald.

"Knowing Arthur, he'd want a status update," said Cinder.

Emerald and Mercury nodded silently, though they were relieved. They could tell Cinder was still upset about her counterpart, but at least she was talking. It was certainly better than the alternatives, especially since they were stuck in such a confined space.

 **The hobbits saw the orcs go to the trees, and with their war axes, cut down some branches for firewood. As this happened, Sun crawled over to the handtied Neptune with his own bound hands.**

" **Neptune…" whispered Sun as he panted from exhaustion, "Neptune…"**

 **Neptune, also exhausted, looked tiredly at Sun.**

" **I think… we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Sun," said Neptune with a wry smile.**

 **Sun snorted a little, happy to see Neptune had some strength to smile left in him.**

"They look tired," said Coco, worried.

"They were carried on their captors' backs no doubt," said Winter, "The sound of rattling armor, and the bouncing from the pace of the their running must have kept them awake."

"How horrible," said Velvet.

"Yeah. I would not be a happy Yang if I got put through that. My hair alone would be a nightmare," said Yang.

"It'd also smell rank, I'm sure," said Weiss.

 **ggggGGGGRRRRMmmmm…**

 **The two hobbits tensed at the noise, and looked to the source: the forest.**

 **bbbAAArrmmm…**

"What is that noise," said Velvet, a little tense.

"I don't know… But it sounds big," said Sun.

 **Both the orcs, nor uruks didn't seem to hear, and if they did, they didn't care. Neptune and Sun heard it clearly though, and both felt uneasy.**

" **What's making that noise?" asked Sun.**

 **Neptune looked up, and listened carefully.**

 **KKkkkrree…**

"It sounds really big," corrected Tai.

" **It's the trees…" said Neptune in realization.**

" **What?" asked Sun, shocked.**

"The trees?" asked Blake, intrigued, but unconvinced.

"Maybe they're magic trees," said Nora.

"Magic trees?" asked Weiss, dubiously.

"There was a walking lava monster with a whip," pointed out Ren.

"…Fair point," said Weiss.

Pyrrha and Ruby giggled.

" **You remember the Old Forest? On the borders of Buckland?" asked Neptune, and Sun nodded, "Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall… And come alive."**

" **Alive?" gasped Sun.**

 **Bbbarrruumm…**

 **Sun turned back to the forest in thought.**

" **Trees that could whisper," continued Neptune, "Talk to each other… Even move…"**

"That sounds pretty cool… And freaky," said Sun.

"Walking talking trees… Sensational! I want to see one!" said Penny.

"Maybe we will," said Ruby.

" _ **I'm starving!"**_ **growled one of the uruks, "** _ **We aint had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"**_

" _ **Yeah!"**_ **piped up a nearby orc,** _ **"Why can't we have some meat?"**_

 **Suddenly, Sun felt tense. He turned and saw that one of the orc's gazed at Neptune, and him.**

"… **What about them?" the same orc asked as it licked it's lips, "They're fresh."**

"Uh-oh…" said Ilia.

"That's… not good," said Emerald quietly.

She didn't say this out of concern for Sun's safety though. It was just so that Cinder wouldn't throw up in their bubble if things got grisly.

 **The hobbits broke out into a sweat, but were surprised when the uruks began to form up between the orcs and the hobbits.**

" **They are** _ **not**_ **for eating!" growled one of the uruks, the leader.**

 **Sun suddenly felt a hand on his ankle, and he turned to see an uruk grabbed both Neptune and himself, and dragged him further back, away from the orcs.**

" **What about their legs…? They don't need those," said one of the other orcs with wide eyes.**

 **Sun immediately looked down at his legs in terror.**

"Damn… Talk about a way to lose your legs," gulped Mercury.

"…How did you lose your legs?" asked Emerald.

"Nothing like what they're suggesting," growled Mercury.

Emerald dropped the subject immediately. She personally didn't care anyway, and was only curious.

" **Ooh, they look tasty," the same orc said before it made for the hobbits.**

" **Get back, scum!" roared the lead uruk as it pushed back the orc.**

 **Suddenly. The two sides, orcs and uruks, readied weapons and hissed and growled at one another.**

" **The prisoners go to the master, alive and unspoiled, as ordered!" reminded the lead uruk.**

" **Alive…?" responded the orc, who cast a hungry glance at Sun and Neptune, "Why alive? Do they give good sport?"**

"Looks like their discipline is breaking down," said Blake.

"They're more bloodthirsty than disciplined," scoffed Winter.

"Even so, they're soldiers. And hungry soldiers that are tired can tear apart the cohesion of the ranks if left unchecked. I fear Wukong and Vasilias are in serious danger…" said Ironwood.

Sun gulped at that.

" **They have something. An elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war," responded the lead uruk.**

 **The orc recoiled at the thought.**

"Looks like the wizard _does_ want the ring for himself," said Glynda.

"I knew it…" said Cinder with a sigh.

" **They think we have the ring," whispered Sun.**

" **Shh, if they find out we don't we're dead," whispered back Neptune.**

" **Just a mouthful," said a voice from behind.**

 **Sun and Neptune spun to see an orc had gotten behind the uruks, was a foot away from them.**

"Get away, guys!" yelped Sun.

"How'd he get behind?" asked Ruby, shocked.

"They're all tired, and hungry. Anyone's focus would be shoddy," said Tai.

" **Above the flank…" said the orc as it raised a blade.**

 **Before the two hobbits could duck, a flash of black metal sailed over their heads, and something fell atop them. The looked at the ground as the object landed and saw that it was the orc's head with its face in terror. The looked back up, and saw that the body had collapsed. However what really put them on edge was the audible sniffing of the uruks who now eyed the corpse.**

" **Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" declared the lead uruk.**

" **GGGGRRRRRRRROOOOOOAAAA!"**

 **A chorus of bloodthirsty roars blared in the night. Sun and Neptune were suddenly pushed aside as the uruks began to tear into the body. Sun blinked in terror, especially when he saw an uruk bite into a piece of intestines.**

"Hrk…" groaned Cinder.

"What she said," groaned Velvet as she saw the grisly scene.

"I don't think we should have had that pizza now," said Nora, a little sick herself.

" **SSCCRREEE!"**

" **GYYAA… ggglll…"**

 **The two hobbits saw that the uruks weren't satisfied with one body. They had turned on the orcs, and began to kill them, one after another before ripping off the armor and gnashing their teeth into the flesh of their living, breathing victims.**

"They truly are savages," said Weiss.

"Hard to believe they were elves at one point… I mean not this group, but you know," said Blake.

"Hunger can turn anyone savage, not just these creatures," said Ozpin.

" **Sun!" whispered Neptune, and Sun looked to his friend, "Let's go…"**

 **Sun nodded and the two crawled away from the frenzy as quickly as they could. They headed toward the woods, where they believed they had the best chance of getting away from them as opposed to the open fields.**

"If nothing else, the scene has given them a means of escape," said Raven.

"They've got to move faster… someone will be bound to notice them if they dawdle," said Pyrrha.

"They could also be caught more quickly that way too," said Ilia.

"They just need to be careful," said Glynda.

" **Agh!" cried Neptune suddenly.**

 **Sun turned and saw that the orc who had argued with the head uruk had stamped a foot on Neptune's back.**

" **Go on… Call for help…" it taunted before it leaned down and grabbed Sun's face as it pinned Neptune, "Squeal! No one's gonna save you now."**

"Crap!" yelped Sun.

 **It held up a curved dagger, and raised to cut into the hob-**

" **GAH-hieee!" cried the orc as its body became rigid.**

 **When it fell to the ground Sun and Neptune saw that the orc had been stabbed with a spear, and writhed about. Due to the noise, the uruks stopped eating, and looked about. It was at that moment the sounds of hooves thundered louder and louder, and Sun saw with an awestruck Neptune that a band of riders had charged from the darkened plains.**

" **RAAAHH!" shouted the riders with swords and spears raised high.**

"Looks like the horsemen of Rohan arrived!" said Nora.

"If there was a chance to run for it, it's now," urged Ruby.

"Go, go, go!" urged Sun.

 **Some uruks charged, and others were killed by mounted archers before they could stand. Some orcs tried to flee, but a second band of riders cut them off. As the sounds of slaughter and fighting rang throughout, the hobbits tried to get to their feet.**

"Those monsters are done for," said Pyrrha, a little satisfied, "They're aren't getting out of that pincer."

 **NNEEEIIGH!**

 **Sun tripped at the sudden noise, and rolled on his back and saw a horse above as it reared.**

" **AAAH!" screamed Sun, as the hooves fell upon him.**

Everyone gasped.

"No. _None_ of them are getting out of that pincer," corrected Cinder with a wicked smile.

 **A/N: Well, Cinder seems to have recovered… for now. See you around for the next chapter, coming soon!**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **I changed up The Two Towers' order of appearance in the opening so that it would flow a little better.**

 **I had to look up how marriages and reproduction worked in LOTR for the scene where the audience saw the uruks being harvested. Elves were essentially modeled on the ideal marriage. They were monogamous, and rarely remarried even if their partners died. In the lore I'm familiar with, elves who outlived their partners either died of broken hearts, or just continued to live on. Dwarves had an unequal male : female ratio in their overall population, and imagine marriage and reproduction was carefully managed. Tolkien even wrote in one of the appendices that dwarves kept "jealous guard" over their wives, though that's paraphrasing.**

 **Preview: Unexpected Arrivals**


	34. LOTR-TT: Unexpected Arrivals

**So, apparently the proposed LOTR show on Amazon Prime takes place in the Second Age… I can't wait! There so much lore in that period, and it will be cool to see Celebrimbor as he was in the books along with Gil-galad, and young Elrond and his twin brother Elros. Anyway let's get to the next chapter, one a lot of the LOTR fans wanted to see. Fair warning though, the casting** _ **might**_ **shock some of you, as much as it will the viewers.**

 **Here we go…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 34 – Unexpected Arrivals**

 **It was the early hours of morning when Blake stopped running. Jaune noticed and turned around, whereas Ironwood just caught up to them.**

" **Blake?" asked Jaune.**

"… **A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night," said Blake.**

"Please tell me they aren't dead," shuddered Ruby with worry.

"It's a battle at night, anything could happen," said Cinder sing-song.

Ruby gasped, while Sun and Weiss balled their hands into fist. Ironwood, and Winter growled, but said nothing, since they knew it to be true.

 **Jaune looked upon the deep red light that bled over the horizon, and he took a breath.**

" **Let us hurry then," said Jaune.**

 **Blake nodded, and Jaune led his two companions further down into the plains. He leaned down, and pawed at the ground, looking for more signs of their quarry, or drops from their friends…**

 **Jaune tilted his head when he saw a slight movement from a pebble.**

 **bb…bbbbm…bbbbmmmm…**

 _ **Neeigh,**_ **a horse whinnied in the distance.**

 **Jaune turned, and saw a dark shape with banners move their direction, and he got up and urged his companions to follow them to a nearby rocky outcrop.**

"Are those the same riders?" asked Pyrrha.

"Why would they hide from them though?" asked Nora.

"They may be the same riders, but Jaune, Blake, and General Ironwood's counterparts don't know that. It's best to hide until they confirm who they are," said Ren.

 **As they flushed their bodies close to the stone, Jaune heard the noise get louder and louder. Then he saw riders charge past them.**

 **BBBOOOMMM! BBBBBRRROOOOM!**

 **The riders rode past the rocks they hid from, and Jaune took note of their appearances. They rode upon fine steeds, with green wooden shields and white horses painted upon it that hung off the side of their saddles. They were armed with spears, bows, and swords, and wore scale armor with green cloaks, and helms of steel with steel horse ornaments upon the crowns of the helm, while other helmets had tufts of horsehair.**

 **When they rode past, Jaune gestured for his friends to follow him into the open.**

" **RIDERS OF ROHAN! WHAT NEWS OF THE MARK!" shouted Jaune.**

 **The lead rider raised a spear, and the riders immediately rounded about.**

" **Follow my lead," said Jaune as the riders approached.**

"So they are friendlies?" asked Blake.

"He knows how to call out to them, so they should be," said Weiss.

"I don't know… They're closing in pretty fast," observed Ruby.

 **Blake and Ironwood nodded, but they were also on edge. The horsemen approached, and the three were pushed back to back as the riders encircled them. Once the circle was complete, they slowly stopped their horses, and lowered their spears. Jaune raised his hands in surrender, to show they were no threat.**

"I guess they're not so friendly," said Mercury.

"Or maybe they're trying to figure out if they're a threat, or not. Their clothes alone scream 'foreigner' compared the riders' outfits after all," said Coco.

 **A rider then approached. Unlike the others, he wore a plate hauberk, with brown leather, and fine chain mail underneath. He had a helm of shining steel with a horsehair, a golden horse that ran from the top of the helm to form the nose guard, as well as steel flaps to guard the cheeks. The most distinguishing feature of the rider was his black hair, and magenta eyes.**

"Is that… Ren?" asked Pyrrha.

"Wow… you look great in armor," said Coco.

"I… suppose," said Ren.

"Armored Ren… on a horse…" sighed Nora dreamily.

"Nora…?" asked Ren.

"Nothing, Ren…" said Nora absentmindedly.

Pyrrha giggled as Ren tilted his head, and looked at his own clothes.

" **What business does a man, an elf, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark! Speak quickly!" demanded the rider.**

"You're pretty demanding in this universe," said Yang.

"It's the total opposite of what we're used to," said Ruby.

"He's clearly in charge of this group. A good commander has to project strength," said Winter.

"Me… In charge of a group…?" thought Ren, "Like my father was…"

"Ren?" asked Nora.

"Don't mind me. I'm just thinking about how things might have been different…" said Ren, who then sighed.

"Ren…" said Nora softly.

" **Give me your name horsemaster, and I shall give you mine!" responded Ironwood.**

 **Jaune looked at the dwarf in horror. Before Jaune could say anything though, the rider handed one of his companions his spear, dismounted, and approached the trio aggressively, hand on his sword ready to draw.**

" **I would cut off your head** _ **dwarf**_ **, if only it stood a** _ **little**_ **higher off the ground," threatened and taunted the rider.**

"Whoa! Where'd that come from?" asked Coco.

"I don't think I've ever seen Ren threaten anyone," said Pyrrha.

"It might have been a breach in their customs," began Ren, "Perhaps my counterpart was offended that a stranger made a demand of him. Warriors in ancient Mistral had similarly strict customs when it came to introductions."

Nora half-listened, lost in how hot and aggressive Ren was in that scene.

 **As the rider stopped his approach, Blake drew her bow, an arrow trained at the rider's throat.**

" **You would die before your sword stroke fell!" declared Blake threateningly.**

"Well, there go the introductions," said Velvet.

"Ren threatened him. It's only natural for comrades to defend each other, no matter how annoying they can get," said Blake in defense of her counterpart.

"Aww, the elf's getting along with the dwarf!" cooed Yang teasingly.

Blake sighed as Ironwood gave a hearty chuckle.

 **As the spears of the other riders rattled and moved into a throwing stance, Jaune immediately stood before Blakes arrow. He gave her and Ironwood a pointed looked each, as he lowered Blake's bow with his own hand.**

" **I said follow my lead," he scolded before he face the rider, "I am Jaune, Son of Azure. These are my companions, Ironwood of Erebor, and Blake of the Mirkwood Forest. We are friends of Rohan, and of King Rainart."**

"King Rainart… Wait, Hazel?!" gasped Ozpin.

"Hazel's a king?!" shrieked Cinder.

"A… friend of yours, ma'am?" asked Emerald.

"Hardly. We serve the same mistress, but he's more of a colleague… The least aggravating of all of them," admitted Cinder.

"I guess that's one of the bad guys in our world," said Ruby.

"A bad guy in one universe, and hero in this…?" thought Ren aloud.

Ozpin's curiosity was piqued at the prospect, especially given his personal history with Hazel.

 **The rider looked at Jaune in surprise.**

" **Jaune, Son of Azure…? Your name is known to all in Meduseld. However, King Rainart no longer recognizes friend from foe," said the rider before he removed his helmet, "Not even among his own kin."**

 **The rider had long, unbound black hair with only a sole stripe of magenta strands among his bangs.**

Nora thought she could faint at Ren with unbound hair…

'In armor!' Nora thought/squealed in her mind.

 **The riders around them backed up their horses and raised their spears almost immediately.**

" **I am Lie Ren, the adopted son of the late Lady Gretchen, the king's sister," said the rider, "However that matters little now. The White Wizard, Arthur, has poisoned the king's mind. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that, we are banished."**

"I'm adopted?" asked Ren.

"You don't suppose… Did something like Kuroyuri happen?" asked Nora.

"…Was I taken in by someone?" thought Ren aloud with a distant look on his face.

 **Jaune seemed dumbfounded by the words of the rider.**

" **The White Wizard is cunning," continued Ren with venom in his voice, "He walks here and there, they say. As an old man, hooded and cloaked, and everywhere…" he looked at Blake and sneered, "His** _ **spies**_ **have passed through our nets."**

"Kind of reminds me when we first found out you were a faunus… and an ex-White Fang member," said Yang soberly.

"Yeah, it does," flinched Blake.

"In my defense, I was frightened," said Weiss, a little sheepish.

"Understandable, given your family's history with the Fang," said Blake.

"Quite," said Winter, in a pronounced defense of her sister.

"Blake wouldn't hurt her," said Ilia defensively, "…She's just kidnap, and-"

" _Thank you_ , Ilia," grounded out Blake as she saw Weiss, her father, and mother, go pale with frightened faces.

"I think she was just joking," chuckled Ruby, as she, Yang, and Ilia giggled while Blake grumbled in embarrassment.

"How amusing…" said Winter flatly.

" **We are not spies!" declared Jaune, who caught the attention of Ren, "We track a party of uruk-hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive."**

 **Ren's brow furrowed as though in thought.**

" **The uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them last night," said Ren finally.**

"So they were the same group," said Ren.

"The same group that trampled over their companions, you mean?" asked Cinder.

"We don't know that!" growled Sun.

" **There were two hobbits!" stammered our Ironwood in worry, "Did you see two hobbits with them?!"**

" **They're halflings, they would seem no taller than children in your eyes," said Jaune levelly, though there was an urgent worry in his voice.**

 **Ren closed his eyes, and shook his head before he looked Jaune in the eye.**

"… **We left none alive," said Ren.**

Everyone gasped, except for Cinder and her group.

 **Jaune was shocked.**

" **We piled the carcasses, and burned them," said Ren as he gestured to a distant hill that had smoke rising from it.**

 **Jaune was speechless, and stared at the ground.**

" **Dead…?" asked Ironwood, stunned.**

"… **I'm sorry," said Ren, sympathetically.**

 **Blake looked at the ground in silent fury.**

"Friend in this universe, villain in the next…" taunted Cinder.

"Shut up!" shouted Pyrrha, "Ren fought them… He couldn't have known!"

Cinder held up her hands in surrender, but her mocking face destroyed the impression she gave.

" **WHEEEeee…! Hasufel! Arod!" whistled Ren.**

 **The trio saw a rider lead in two fine steeds.**

" **May these horses bear you better fortune than their former masters," said Ren, "It may not be a sufficient weregild, but I pray you will accept them."**

 **Jaune and Blake took the reins of the horses, and Jaune nodded in understanding.**

"What's a weregild?" asked Ruby.

"An ancient form of legal compensation," said Ozpin, "In ancient days, when blood feuds and vendettas were common, a weregild used money to settle disputes."

"Like a settlement?" asked Weiss.

"Yes," said Ozpin, "And much like a settlement, there were a conditions where a weregild would, or would not be appropriate."

" **Farewell," said Ren with a respectful nod, before he put on his helmet, and got back onto his horse, "Look for your friends, but do not trust a hope. It is forsaken, these lands."**

 **Ren turned to his riders.**

" **We ride north!" he commanded.**

 **Immediately, the riders heeded their leader's order, and the company rode off into the distance.**

" **I must see for myself," said Jaune as he quickly mounted one of the horses.**

 **Blake nodded as well, and helped up Ironwood the other horse before joining him in the saddle. The two rode to the smoke, and as they got closer, an empty feeling filled their hearts.**

Sun, Weiss, and Blake leaned forward with anticipation, and fear.

 **They got to the top of the hill and saw a source of the smoke. The smell of burning flesh, and hot steel hit their noses. They saw weapons and arrows strewn about, and then they saw a large pile of bodies still burning hot with an uruk's head on a pike.**

"Now that's sending a message," said Raven, intrigued at the sight.

"Yes, it is," agreed Cinder.

"Can't you be quiet…? Or at least have normal woman conversations like makeup, or whatever?" asked Qrow.

"Qrow, save the banter for after this," said Glynda as she gestured to the worried students.

"Fine," said Qrow.

Raven rolled her eyes, and Cinder smiled triumphantly.

 **The three quickly dismounted, and approached the pile.**

" **Look for any signs!" ordered Jaune.**

 **Jaune looked about the ground for any signs as Blake used her stronger vision to see for anything Jaune could. Meanwhile, Ironwood used one of his axes to pick through the corpses. Suddenly he gasped, and the other two looked toward him. Ironwood reached into the bodies, and pulled out a dagger sheath holstered to a belt of fine elven make.**

" **It's one of their belts," said Ironwood as he swallowed heavily.**

"No…" gasped Weiss as she covered her mouth.

"Damn it… They were so close too," sighed Sun.

 **Blake lowered her head, closed her eyes, and said a prayer in elven. Jaune though saw an uruk's helmet, and kicked it.**

" **AAARRRGGGH!" Jaune howled in fury before he fell to his knees in sorrow.**

" **We failed them," sighed Ironwood sadly.**

"Did my counterpart slow them down…?" asked Ironwood, who couldn't help but sympathize with struck look on his counterpart's face.

"No," said Blake before Glynda could say anything, "They all ran as fast as they could, and did their best to catch up. It was just a case of bad luck."

"…That's comforting to hear. Thank you," said Ironwood.

Glynda, Ghira, and Kali smiled a little at the scene.

 **Blake finished her prayer, and Jaune leaned back, and his head fell into a hand. Before he could cry though, he noticed something. He brushed aside his windblown hair, and leaned in to get a better look. He saw an indent in the earth next to an uruk's discarded battle axe, and two horse hoof prints. He looked it over carefully.**

"… **A hobbit lay here," he began.**

" **Jaune…?" asked Blake.**

 **Jaune pawed at another patch of dirt right next the area he looked at.**

"… **And the other," said Jaune, he looked at another part of the ground.**

"Is he still tracking? Why?" asked Emerald.

"He's desperate," answered Mercury.

"No, he's hopeful," corrected Pyrrha.

"A fool's hope," said Cinder.

"Better a hopeful fool than a cold cynic," said Nora, in one of her rare serious moments.

Ozpin was intrigued by Nora's words, but said nothing.

 **He saw awkward indents too small to be feet, and too deep to be from a horse.**

"… **They crawled," said Jaune, a bit of spark back in his voice as he followed the trail, "Their hands were bound."**

 **Jaune got back onto his feet, and followed carefully until he found a half-buried axe in the dirt. He leaned, and found some rope, cut roughly.**

" **They cut their binds… both of them," said Jaune as he found a second cut rope.**

"They freed themselves?" gasped out Ilia.

"Then… That means they had a chance to run," said Ruby.

"Come on, man!" urged Sun, "Don't stop there."

 **Jaune moved about in a zig-zag manner, his eyes constantly on the trail.**

" **They ran over here… They were followed…" muttered Jaune in worry, then he knelt, and picked up another belt of elven make with an empty dagger sheathe, "They gave them the slip… The tracks lead away from the battle."**

"They went well away from the fighting," said Kali in relief.

"Woohoo! We're still alive!" leapt Sun joyfully.

"Yeah"! cheered Ruby, Yang, and Nora with pumped fists as Blake and Weiss smiled.

 **Jaune took the belt with him, and followed the trail, along with the other two, and then Jaune stopped when the trail was covered by the shade of trees.**

"… **And into Fangorn Forest," breathed out Jaune.**

" **Fangorn?" gasped Ironwood, "What madness drove them there?"**

"Wasn't that the same forest your other… colleague wanted to have cut down?" asked Emerald.

"Yes…" answered Cinder.

" **It does not matter," said Jaune, "They're in there, and we have a trail. Blake, get the horses, and tie them to the trees. We may need them to carry Sun, and Neptune when we find them."**

" **Yes," said Blake, a little more hopeful now.**

"Why does my counterpart feel… threatened by that forest?" asked Ironwood.

"Perhaps that forest is dangerous," said Ozpin.

"Uh… How dangerous are we talking?" asked Sun.

 **The forest was dark, the light of the sun was dark green and dark blue if it could even be seen at all. Neptune, and Sun ran through the dark forest, and looked toward their rear once in a while. Neptune tripped, and fell on his front. Sun got to his side, and helped him up.**

"Looks like we're seeing what they're seeing now," said Tai Yang.

"They look even more tired than before," said Blake, worried.

 **GRRROOOOO**

 **GRRROOOAAA**

 **The duo looked nervously at the trees. Their branches were like gnarled hands, their roots jutted and coiled above grounds. Some of the holes looked like angry eyes, and twisted sneers. Sun gulped, closed his eyes, and shook his head. When he opened them, the trees suddenly appeared normal again, though the dark atmosphere still remained.**

"Does that answer your question?" asked Velvet as she shuddered.

"Didn't Neptune say there was something in the water?" asked Weiss.

"That must be some trippy water," said Sun.

"It could also be their minds playing tricks on them," pointed out Tai, "When was the last time they got any real sleep?"

" **Did we lose him?" asked Neptune.**

" **I think we lost him," said Sun.**

" _ **Grash! GRAAH!"**_ **came a voice along with the rustling of bushes.**

 **The turned, and saw the same orc that tried to gut them from before. It wheeled it's head about before it stilled as it saw them. He made a hungry sneer, and hobbled toward them, blade in hand.**

"He's still alive?!" gasped Kali.

"He took a spear in the back!" agreed Sun.

"Anger, and hunger are powerful motivators," said Raven.

 **Sun helped Neptune up, and the two bolted.**

" **I'm gonna** _ **rip out**_ **… Your filthy little innards!" shrieked the orc.**

 **They weaved about, and got a fair distance away before they hid behind a tree.**

" **COME 'ERE!" roared the orc.**

" **Go, go…!" urged Neptune silently, and Sun complied as he followed the running Neptune.**

 **The heard the orc's ragged breathing, and rustling of the forest's floor get louder. Neptune stopped running, and looked up.**

"… **The trees. Climb the trees!" ordered Neptune.**

"They'll be trapped up there," said Raven.

"However, that orc is injured. I doubt it can climb up," said Glynda.

"Then it becomes a siege of sorts. It'll then be a matter of who breaks first," said Cinder.

 **The two ran to the nearest one, and Neptune made a stirrup with his hand. Sun stepped on it, and was thrown up by Neptune, who grabbed a branch. Neptune scrambled up after, and they climbed quickly up the trunk. At some point though the two noticed the sounds of their pursuer faded, and they stopped.**

 **Neptune climbed a little higher, and rested on a branch, though he looked about, alert.**

 **He saw nothing…**

" **He's gone…" said Neptune, relieved.**

 **Sun sighed in relief, and relaxed.**

 **RUSTLE-SNAP**

 **Sun looked down immediately, and saw that the orc had grabbed Neptune by the ankle, and some small branches snapped when his friend had been yanked down.**

"How? We didn't see him?" gasped Weiss.

"He must have moved to stalk. Besides, as Tai said, they're tired," said Raven.

 **As Sun lowered himself down to help, he saw Neptune kick the orc in the face. The orc stilled before it pounced on Neptune with renewed fury.**

" **Neptune! I'm coming!" shouted Sun as he prepared to help his struggling friend.**

" **OOOFF-MMM…!" came a loud noise from the tree.**

"Um… What was that?" asked Sun.

"It's the same noise from the forest, but a lot… louder… No…" said Blake.

 **Sun stopped… He turned slowly toward the tree he was on, and was greeted by two large, golden eyes that blinked at him. He looked at the tree, and upon a closer, stunned, appraisal, he saw his hand was on a nose. He let it go and the sound a deep breaths filled the air.**

" **Uhh…" Sun was too stunned for words.**

"The tree's… really alive?!" gasped Ironwood.

"Well, Mr. Vasilias did mention that," pointed out Penny, excited.

 **The tree's… neck? It moved, and a cracking noise rumbled through the air as it stretched. The tree's gaze returned to Sun, more sharply, and Sun let go of the tree in stunned surprise. Sun fell, but he was caught in the branches, which turned out to be hands.**

" **P-Please… I… I…" babbled Sun in disbelief.**

 **The tree looked at him, then to the ground, and it frowned. Sun saw the tree uproot itself, it's trunk split in two, like legs. Sun saw the tree march with purpose, and the hobbit watched as the orc stopped throttling Neptune, and it looked up at them before-**

 **SPLAT!**

"Ooh, that'll leave a mark," winced Mercury playfully.

"Or thirty," snorted Emerald.

"This is why you always pay attention to your surroundings," remarked Raven.

"That's… good advice, actually," said Tai, when he found nothing to criticize.

" **Run! Neptune, run!" shouted Sun, as the tree grounded its foot on the orc.**

 **Neptune scrambled to his feet, and ran, but the tree's stride was too great. Neptune was caught by the tree's other branch hand, and it stopped as it looked at them curiously.**

"… _ **LITTLE ORCS, BOO-RA-RRROOOOOMMM,"**_ **declared the tree.**

"So they _can_ talk as well," said Penny.

"Whoa… That' s actually pretty neat," said Ruby.

"No, that's freaky," corrected Sun, "I take back what I said earlier. I climb trees… Oh boy, what if I hurt them this whole time!"

"I doubt your foot would hurt that them much, if that's what you're worried about," said Emerald.

"… **It's talking, Neptune. The tree is talking," babbled out Sun**

" _ **TREE?!"**_ **growled the creature, offended,** _ **"I AM NO TREE! I AM AN ENT!"**_

" **An ent?" gasped Neptune, as though in pleasant surprise, "A tree-herder. A shepherd of the forest!"**

"A shepherd of the forest?" asked Winter.

"Who would want to shepherd trees?" asked Weiss, dubious of the description.

"Maybe elves?" suggested Nora, "I mean, the do live in forests, after all."

"Do you suppose they work together, then?" asked Ghira.

"I don't see any evidence of elves, based on what we've seen of their civilization," said Winter

"It's just an idea to consider," said Ren, in defense of Nora's idea.

 **The ent looked pleased by Neptune's words.**

" _ **TREEBEARD, SOME CALL ME,"**_ **it introduced himself.**

 **Sun gulped.**

" **And, who's side are you on?" asked Sun.**

" _ **SIDE? I AM AN NOBODY'S SIDE,"**_ **growled Treebeard,** _ **"BECAUSE NOBODY IS ON**_ **MY** _ **SIDE, LITTLE ORC. NO ONE CARES FOR THE WOODS ANYMORE."**_

"Well… I guess that makes sense," said Emerald.

"How so?" asked Qrow, surprised by the young villain's agreement.

"Why care for someone who doesn't care about what matters to you?" asked Emerald.

"But it saved them from the orc," said Blake.

"It's doesn't mean you can trust him, or that he should trust them," said Emerald.

" **We're not orcs," said Neptune, "We're** _ **hobbits**_ **!"**

"… _ **HOBBIT? NEVER HEARD OF A HOBBIT BEFORE. SOUNDS LIKE ORC MISCHIEF TO ME,"**_ **growled Treebeard.**

 **Suddenly, Sun felt the branches on his body tighten.**

" **Ah…" gapsed out Neptune.**

" **W-Wait…!" said Sun.**

" _ **THEY COME WITH FIRE. THEY COME WITH AXES! GNAWING! BITING! BREAKING! HACKING BURNING!"**_ **roared Treebeard in rage with a distant look on his face,** _ **"DESTROYERS, AND USURPERS, CURSE THEM!"**_

" **No, you don't understand!" gasped out Neptune, "We're** _ **hobbits**_ **! Halflings! Shire-folk!"**

 **Sun nodded desperately along.**

"It's crushing them!" gasped Velvet.

"It must be thinking of all the wrongs that he's witnessed," shuddered Ghira.

"But hobbits are hardly dangerous to forests," jumped in Ruby.

"I don't think he knows that," said Pyrrha, worried.

"I suppose these ents all live in this forest. In such isolation, they must not have even heard of hobbits," said Ozpin.

"Well it certainly doesn't look like a forest anyone, let alone hobbits, would want to set foot in on their own," said Winter.

"… _ **MAYBE YOU ARE… MAYBE YOU AREN'T,"**_ **allowed Treebeard, before he looked, and stopped walking,** _ **"THE WHITE WIZARD WILL KNOW."**_

" **The White Wizard?" asked Sun, dumbfounded.**

 **The two were dropped with a soft plop, and Sun looked at the white robe at the forest floor.**

"So after all that, they got caught anyway?" gasped Nora.

"This isn't good… Do you think Jaune could even fight that thing?" asked Yang.

"I'd be more concerned about the danger the wizard poses," said Blake.

 **It had been hours since they entered Fangorn, and Jaune tracked the trail through the brush.**

"Back to our leader!" declared Nora.

" **Orc blood!" spat out Ironwood literally.**

"Ugh… did you seriously just do that?" asked Glynda, disgusted.

"Wouldn't be the first time I put something nasty in my mouth," said Ironwood.

"…Do I want to know?" asked Glynda.

"No, you really don't," said Ironwood.

"Seriously, I need to get you drunk so you can tell me what the hell you got up to when you were young," declared Qrow.

"I'd sooner tell Glynda," said Ironwood, who winced at the expected frown from the Deputy Headmistress.

 **Jaune rolled his eyes, but paid Ironwood no mind as he looked at the ground strangely. He found the orc in question, crushed to a pulp, but noticed the track it was upon and the trail it turned into. He ran along the trail with the other two, and then he stopped as he looked at the imprints.**

" **These are strange tracks…" said Jaune, confused by what he saw, "Each step is different from the last."**

" **The air is so close in here," said Ironwood, as he panted a little for air.**

 **Jaune saw Blake wander off.**

" **Blake…?" asked Jaune.**

 **The looked about the woods with a sad, far-off look on her face.**

" **This forest is old…" she began solemnly, "Very old. Full of memory… and anger…"**

 **ggggGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRROOOOOooo…!**

 **RRRRRRRRRROOOOoooaaa…!**

 **The three looked about in fear, and Ironwood drew his axe.**

 **GGGGGRRROAAAAAA!**

 **WWWWWWWWWOOOOOOO!**

" **The trees are speaking to each other," said Blake urgently.**

"I was right! Elves do know something about the trees, and ents, and stuff!" declared Nora victoriously.

"I wonder what they're saying!" wondered Penny aloud.

"That bark looks lovely on you?" suggested Coco.

"Maybe something about squirrel shit?" asked Emerald.

That got a laugh out of everyone.

 **The two turned around and saw Ironwood, and a cold sweat emerged when they saw him hold his axe in a threatening manner.**

" **Ironwood! Lower your axe!" whispered Jaune loudly.**

 **Ironwood did, and suddenly the noises died down.**

"Or maybe it's because the general looked like he was going to cut them down," said Ozpin.

"What would you do in that situation?" asked Ironwood a little defensively, "I doubt you can speak _tree_."

"Hmm… I suppose not," admitted Ozpin.

" **They have feelings, my friend," said Blake, "We elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."**

" **Talking trees? Hmph… What do trees have to talk about, except for the consistency of squirrel droppings," said Ironwood.**

"Huh, you called it," said Mercury.

"I was just joking," gasped Emerald.

"I wonder how they woke up the trees. Elven magic?" asked Blake.

"Songs, if I recall the tale Jaune learned as a boy in this universe," said Archie, "Mostly though they just spoke to the trees."

"That rather… anti-climactic," said Penny.

 **Blake and Jaune snorted a little, but suddenly Blake tensed.**

" _ **Jaune, something's out there!"**_ **whispered Blake in elven.**

 **Jaune followed her, and when she stopped upon a tree root, he leaned into her ear.**

" _ **What do you see?"**_ **asked Jaune in elven.**

"… **The White Wizard approaches," said Blake, and she cast a glance into the forest.**

"Bad guy nearby," gasped Ruby.

"Can the three of them fight a wizard by themselves?" questioned Weiss.

"If he's anything like the Arthur I know, you're friends would be lucky if they still breathed after ten seconds," taunted Cinder which earned her a growl from the larger audience.

 **Jaune and Ironwood relaxed, but held their hands close to their weapons.**

" **Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us…" whispered Jaune.**

 **Jaune gripped his sword, Blake moved a hand to her breast to reach for her quiver into a quick draw, and Ironwood drew out a throwing axe.**

" **We must be quick…" said Jaune.**

 **The three whipped around, and Blake did a quick draw and seamlessly drew an arrow, set her bow, and released. A blinding white light filled their vision, and the arrow was obliterated. Ironwood tossed his axe, but it was deflected by the sound of wood. Jaune charged and raised his sword high, but a clenched hand emerged from the light.**

 **sssSSS!**

" **Argh!" winced Jaune in pain.**

 **Jaune dropped his blade, and saw the handle had turned red hot as though it was pulled from a forge. He saw his palms were burned, and he looked up at the bright light in outrage.**

"Well that was fast," chuckled Mercury.

"Oh no, they lost," gasped Ruby.

"Wait… Why isn't Arthur finishing them," said Cinder confused.

"Maybe he wants to gloat?" suggested Emerald.

"It's not his style," scoffed Cinder, 'Tyrian, though…' she thought.

" _ **You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits…"**_ **said the White Wizard in a distorted voice.**

" **Where are they?" demanded Jaune.**

" _ **They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone… they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"**_ **asked the wizard.**

"Is it me, or does the wizard's tone seem… kindly," pointed out Pyrrha.

"That definitely doesn't sound like Arthur," said Cinder.

 **Jaune looked confused, and realized something was off.**

" **Who are you?" asked Jaune, "Show yourself!"**

 **The light faded, and they gasped.**

 **The wizard was Ozpin.**

"Wait, Huh?!" gasped everyone in the audience.

"But he-" began Weiss.

"The bridge!" finished Velvet.

"How is that possible?" gasped Tai.

Ozpin, Ironwood, Glynda, and Qrow knew though.

"Guess reincarnation is still possible for you here," whispered Ironwood.

"Do you think that's why he let go of the bridge?" asked Glynda.

"It would be cruel of my counterpart if that was the case," replied Ozpin quietly.

"Gotta say, I like the new duds," said Qrow as he took a swig of beer.

 **Ozpin was clad in fine white robes, had a staff of fine white wood with a finely cut crystal top, and his old sword hung at his hip.**

" **It cannot be…" gasped Jaune.**

" **Forgive me…" Blake kneeled and bowed in apology, "I mistook you for Arthur."**

 **Ironwood bowed, but did not kneel himself. Jaune though, stood, too awestruck to do anything.**

" **I** _ **am**_ **Arthur… Rather Arthur as he should have been," said Ozpin sagely.**

" **You fell…" said Jaune.**

"That's right," confirmed Coco.

"So how did he live?" asked Pyrrha.

 **Ozpin looked at Jaune.**

" **Yes… Yes I did…"**

 _ **Ozpin looked at his companions as he clung to the shattered bridge, and he could hear the goblins at his back.**_

" _ **Fly, you fools!" shouted Ozpin, and he let go.**_

" _ **Noooo!" Ozpin heard Ruby scream.**_

"Guess we'll see like we did when we all thought Ozpin died," said Raven.

"Ooh, more flashbacks," said Nora.

Everyone leaned in with anticipation.

 _ **Ozpin though pained by Ruby's fading voice, focused on his task. He tucked his arms in, and falling face first, he closed in on the light of the balrog. He saw a familiar glint to the side of his vision, and he reached out to grab his tumbling sword by the handle. Weapon in hand, he closed in on his target.**_

 _ **Ozpin finally caught up, and grabbed the balrog through one of the cracks on its body.**_

Everyone winced.

"Please tell me there's some form of aura in this world," said Ozpin who went pale at what his counterpart did.

"Meh…" said Archie, who made a "shaky" motion with his hand.

"That's got to hurt," said Yang.

"Says the girl whose semblance lights her on fire," said Weiss.

"Well, I'm not sure Miss Yang's semblance burns at 700 ˚C," said Penny in wonder.

"Yeah! I mean, my semblance doesn't turn me into a lava monster," said Yang.

 _ **He ignored the smell of his flesh being burned, and gripped tight before he swung down his blade.**_

" _ **GRAA!" the balrog shrieked.**_

 _ **Ozpin struck again.**_

" _ **GRRAAAGH!" the balrog cried.**_

 _ **Ozpin struck.**_

" _ **GRRRRAAAAAAAAGH!" the balrog roared.**_

 _ **POWW!**_

 _ **Ozpin was forced off the beast by a powerful blow from its fist. Ozpin hit the side of a ravine, but he recovered, and lunged after the beast again. He got close, and this time he stabbed the balrog in it's belly.**_

" _ **RROOAAR!" it wailed as molten sparks lit the dark crevice.**_

"That's some serious metal," said Mercury.

"It's so cool! I really wish I had a sample of the metal," said Ruby, "Crescent Rose would be unstoppable!"

"I think that anyone's weapons would be invincible if they had that kind of metal, kiddo," said Qrow.

 _ **Ozpin's blade began to glow white hot from the balrog's fire, and parts of Ozpin's robes began to burn. Still the wizard held tight.**_

 _ **POMM!**_

 _ **Another blow from the balrog forced Ozpin off, and he was grabbed by the fire demon.**_

" _ **AGH!" howled Ozpin as the fire burned.**_

 _ **The balrog opened its mouth as though to devour Ozpin. However, the balrog hit a part of the mountain's bedrock that jutted out from the side of the ravine, and it let go.**_

"That was close," sighed Ozpin in relief.

"That would have been pretty gruesome," said Ghira.

"Unless the bite got cauterized," said Cinder.

"Not helping," said Qrow, who gagged at the image.

 _ **Ozpin fell behind for a moment, but grabbed one of the demon's wings and threw himself toward its horned head. He grabbed a horn, and ignored the blood dripping from his forehead. He struck at the balrog's skull.**_

" _ **GRREEEAAAGH!" it shrieked.**_

 _ **Ozpin was about to deliver another when he noticed something shine below him.**_

 _ **SPLASH!**_

"That's got to hurt," winced Kali.

"Yes. Hitting water at that speed… It would be like hitting concrete after falling from the top of a skyscraper," said Winter.

"Mister Ozpin should be fine though," said Penny, "The creature was beneath him, and therefore took the brunt of the impact. Furthermore, water would severely injure, if not kill, the fire monster."

" **Yes…" said Ozpin as he recalled, "I remember… Through fire and water; from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the balrog of Morgoth…"**

 _ **On the top of a mountain, a tower stood tall in the middle of a raging blizzard. On one side was Ozpin, burned, cut, and bruised with sword in hand. The other side was the balrog, with its fiery body cloaked in black smoke.**_

"It's still alive?" gasped Emerald.

"That's some fire monster," said Mercury excitedly.

"It's an ancient demon. It would be quite surprising if a little bit of water would be all that it took," said Ozpin.

"Disappointing' would be a better term," said Cinder.

 _ **Ozpin ducked to avoid a strike of the balrog's fire whip before he raised his sword to block the strike of the flaming sword in the balrog's other hand. Ozpin lunged into strike the balrogs's wrist, before he ducked to avoid one of the wings of the demon as it recoiled.**_

 _ **Boom!**_

 _ **Ozpin heard thunder, and raised his blade high. A flash of lighting connected with his sword, and with his power, Ozpin struggled to contain it.**_

" _ **RRROOOOAAARRRR!" howled the balrog before it raised its molten claw into the air.**_

 _ **Before it could swipe at Ozpin, the wizard gave a desperate charge, and thrusted his sword into the heart of the balrog. Like a crack upon ice, lightning coursed through the balrog's chest.**_

" _ **GGGRREEEEE-YAAH!" the demon shrieked before it staggered, and fell off the tower. Ozpin ran to the edge, and saw the creature plummet.**_

 _ **CRASH-SPLAT!**_

 _ **Ozpin heard the crunch of bones, and saw the red fire of the balrog fade until it was as black as the stones of the mountain itself.**_

"He's not getting back up," said Sun.

"A lightning bolt, and a fall would certainly do the trick after it got doused like that," said Pyrrha.

"Lightning rules over all!" cheered Nora as if her own semblance was being praised.

" **Until at last I threw down my enemy, and smote his ruin upon the mountainside," continued Ozpin's voice as he recounted his tale,**

" _ **I-It is done …" wheezed Ozpin before he himself staggered back, "The land is safe…"**_

 _ **Ozpin fell onto his back as exhaustion and cold began to claim him.**_

"It must have been a taxing battle," said Ghira.

"He fought to the point where the exhaustion killed him," said Ironwood.

" **Darkness took me…"**

 _ **The scene focused upon Ozpin's eye, and it moved in.**_

" **I strayed out of thought and time. The stars wheeled overhead, and every day was as long as a life age of the earth…"**

 _ **The screen showed the fallen wizard's eye give way to the night sky as it moved rapidly. The light of the stars began to blur until the screen became totally white. The white became surrounded by green as it became the light in a lifeless Ozpin's eye. The scene receded, as though the viewers watched themselves emerge from the eye of a corpse.**_

" **But it was not the end. I felt life in me again…" said Ozpin's voice.**

 _ **Ozpin, naked and in a void of white, gasped for air, and coughed and wheezed.**_

 **Jaune looked at the wizard, whose distant gaze came upon him once more.**

" **I have been sent back, until my task is done," said Ozpin.**

"So the gods of this world sent me back?" asked Ozpin.

"Yes. You _still_ have a job to do in this universe, after all," said Archie, who sent an extended look over to Ozpin.

Ozpin winced a little, though was thankful that it was subtle to everyone, but him.

" **Ozpin…" said Jaune, amazed at the story.**

 **Ozpin seemed confused for a moment.**

" **Ozpin…?" asked the wizard thoughtfully, "…Yes. That was what they used to call me."**

 **Jaune nodded.**

" **Ozpin the Grey…" Ozpin smiled wistfully, "That was my name…"**

"He forgot what he was called?" asked Blake.

"He just came back to life. Some parts of his mind must be waking up as well," said Ozpin, who spoke from experience.

" **Ozpin!" agreed Ironwood happily.**

 **Ozpin gave a wry smile.**

" **I am Ozpin the White," said Ozpin, and Blake nodded with a smile, "…And I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide."**

 **Ozpin reached into his white cape, and pulled out his old grey cloak and wrapped himself in it. He nodded to the side, and went on his way. Jaune nodded to his two companions, and the trio followed their old companion through the dark woods of Fangorn.**

" **One stage of your journey is over, another begins. We must travel to Edoras with all speed," began Ozpin.**

" **Edoras?!" balked Ironwood, "That is no short distance!"**

" **Worried about having to run again, Master Dwarf?" teased Blake.**

" **Careful, Lady Elf…" grumbled Ironwood.**

 **Blake snorted a little.**

"Looks like they have to go elsewhere," said Ironwood.

"What about me, and Neptune?!" gasped Sun.

"The talking tree brought you to Ozpin. They should be fine," said Ilia.

"I believe his name is Mr. Treebeard," reminded Penny.

"Uh… sure," said Ilia.

" **We hear of trouble in Rohan. They say the king's mind is ill," said Jaune.**

 **Ozpin looked over his shoulder to the blonde, and nodded.**

" **Yes, and it will not be easily cured" said Ozpin.**

" **Then we have run all this way for nothing," said Ironwood, "To make it worse, we'll be leaving those poor hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested…"**

 **GGRRRROOOMMM**

 **KKKKRREEEEEEEEEE**

 **UOOOUUUUUUUUU**

"… **Ah! I mean charming… Very charming forest," said Ironwood nervously.**

 **Blake chuckled, and Jaune laughed.**

"Someone doesn't like nature," said Qrow.

"The feeling appears mutual," said Ironwood, "Strange. _I_ like camping."

"Another universe, James," chuckled Glynda.

" **It was more than chance that brought Neptune, and Sun to Fangorn," said Ozpin as he turned to Ironwood with a lighthearted smile, "A great power has been here for many long years."**

 **Jaune saw Blake look about the forest with a hopeful smile.**

" **The coming of Neptune, and Sun will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains," declared Ozpin.**

" **There is one thing about you that has not changed, my friend," said Jaune.**

" **Oh?" asked Ozpin as he leaned toward the man.**

" **You still speak in riddles," answered Jaune with a smile.**

 **Ozpin smiled in response, and the two shared a laugh.**

Ozpin chuckled as well.

Cinder snorted.

Raven rolled her eyes.

" **A thing is about to happen, that has not happened since the Elder Days," said Ozpin, "The ents are going to wake up… And find that they are strong."**

" **Strong…? Well, that's good," said Ironwood.**

" **So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf," said Ozpin, "Neptune, and Sun are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be."**

 **Ozpin walked off, and the trio followed.**

" **I think this Ozpin's grumpier than the last," muttered Ironwood.**

"Hmm… I wonder," whispered Ironwood.

"If it's about personality changes, no, in my case," said Ozpin quietly in reply.

 **Sun and Neptune rode upon Treebeard's back, as they dozed off to the ent's words…**

 _ **Oh, Rowan mine,**_

 _ **I saw you shine,**_

 _ **Upon a summer's day!**_

 _ **Upon your head,**_

 _ **How golden-red,**_

 _ **The crown you bore aloft!**_

 **Treebread held up his branches dramatically at the last line, as he sighed in relish.**

" _ **Such a beautiful verse,"**_ **said Treebeard in satisfaction.**

"I agree!" said Penny happily.

"Huh, he's not as loud as before," said Yang.

"He was probably on edge because he didn't know what to make of Sun, and Neptune," said Blake.

" **Is it much further?" asked Neptune tiredly.**

" _ **Bru-ra-hroom, don't be hasty,"**_ **said Treebeard softly,** _ **"You might call it far, perhaps. My home is deep in the forest, at the roots of the mountain. I told Ozpin I would keep you safe, and safe is where I will keep you."**_

"Aww… He's friendly now," said Nora.

"Well that's good," sighed Weiss, relieved Neptune was safe.

"I guess Ozpin said that they were cool, and now he's cooled down," said Ruby.

"That's a relief," sighed Sun.

"You happy you can finally relax now?" asked Coco.

"Yep," said the monkey faunus he sank into the couch a bit.

"Yes," agreed Pyrrha, "They already lost one member of the fellowship, now the threat of losing two more is gone."

"Not entirely. There's still Ruby, and Yang, since Cinder is with them," reminded Ren with a concerned voice.

"Oh yeah…" said Ruby.

"Ugh…" groaned Cinder as she was reminded of her counterpart.

" _ **I believe you will enjoy this next one too,"**_ **said Treebeard,** _ **"It's one of my own compositions."**_

 **Sun, and Neptune looked at each other tiredly, an uncomfortable look on their faces.**

"It's another poem isn't it?" winced Sun.

"You'd rather listen to cannibalistic goblins?" asked Emerald.

"Good point," said Sun.

"I rather like the ent's poems," said Penny cheerfully.

"At least someone's enjoying them," said Ilia.

"It's not bad," said Blake, "Just a little too basic for my taste. At least Sun and Neptune can finally get some sleep though, based on their expressions."

 **After several hours, the Jaune, Blake, and Ironwood guided Ozpin to where they left the horses gifted to them by Ren. While Ozpin sneered at the nearby smoke of dead uruks, he ignored it to look out into the plains.**

" **Get your horses ready. I shall call upon mine," said Ozpin.**

" **You have a horse of your own?" asked Jaune.**

" **Oh yes… I borrowed him from King Rainart. Since we are to return to Edoras, it's only polite for me to return him," said Ozpin.**

"It seems Hazel, and I are on decent terms in this universe," said Ozpin.

"So… You know this Hazel guy, Professor Ozpin?" asked Ruby curiously.

"He was once my student… We had a falling out, so to speak," said Ozpin.

"That's an understatement," snorted Cinder.

"Sounds like a story," said Weiss.

"It's a tragic one," answered back Ozpin, "I'm curious to see what's different."

 **Jaune saw Ozpin walk away a few steps before he stopped.**

" _ **Wheeeeeee… Whhhooooooo…!"**_ **whistled the wizard.**

 **Jaune heard the whistle echo throughout the plains, and he tugged the reigns of his own steed to steady it. Jaune, and his two companions waited for a few moments as Ozpin stood patient.**

 _ **Neeeigghh!**_

 **Jaune, and the others turned to the direction of the noise, and saw a white horse in the distance galloping toward them. It had a snow white coat, ebony black eyes, and a mane and tail the shimmered like silver in the light of the sun. Jaune felt in awe at the sight, but was even more surprised with he felt a jerk on the reigns. He turned to see both of their horses lower their heads, and take steps back.**

" **What's with the horses?" asked Ironwood.**

 **Blake was the one who answered, her eyes still transfixed upon the white steed that approached them in a trot.**

" **That is one of the Mareas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell," said Blake.**

 **The steed at last approached Ozpin, who patted it.**

" **Shadowfax… He is the lord of all horses, and has been my friend through many dangers," said Ozpin.**

"The lord of all horses?" questioned Winter, "That's a rather lofty title."

"From Jaune's studies in Rivendell, those horses are said to be descended from the steed ridden by the Huntsman of the Gods. They are quite special," said Archie.

"Horses born from a god's steed?" asked Pyrrha.

"That sounds awesome!" gushed Velvet.

 **Ozpin mounted his horse's bare back, and the trio mounted their two horses with Blake and Ironwood sharing as before, and they rode with Ozpin toward Edoras.**

 **A/N: So I'm sure the casting for Eomer and Theoden was surprising, but if you thought that was something, wait till we get to the rest.**

 **Theoden – Hazel Rainart: As was hinted, I will be borrowing a little more from the book for this leg onward. The full explanation for my casting of Hazel will be reveal when we actually meet him in this universe.**

 **Eomer – Lie Ren: The house of Theoden was a difficult casting for me to do, and I changed my mind several times. Eomer was originally going to Oobleck, but I couldn't see it with my original choice for Eowyn, which was Nora. Then it was going to be Mercury, but then that would mean leaving out Emerald from the universe entirely, and I want them both in this along with Cinder to get their interest in the Archive going. Ren was originally going to be Faramir, but upon further thought, I thought Eomer would suit him more. Like Eomer, Ren is very solemn and taciturn, and takes things very seriously. Furthermore, after the War of the Ring, Eomer and Aragorn are steadfast friends and allies, and the two ride into several wars together for the security and peace of Middle Earth. This will also play better for the outcome I want for Ren in this universe for when I introduce Nora. Book readers will know what I'm talking about, I'm sure.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Weregild is a Germanic practice of compensating someone for an injury, or settling a feud that was cause by the death of a loved one with gold.**

 **I got the idea to use Ren for Eomer from the one of the wars that occurred in Middle Earth. Riders from the East, the Wainriders, threatened Gondor. I suspect that they were largely inspired by the Mongols and Huns that invaded Eastern Europe, and threatened Western civilization. Though these groups did not succeed in conquering Europe, they left their mark, genetically and culturally, in all the areas they pass through since some countries, like Hungary practice horse archery.**

 **The battle between Ozpin and the balrog as they fell from the destroyed bridge was pushed to this chapter because I wanted the account of the battle to be one seamless story from Ozpin.**

 **Preview: Lights**


	35. LOTR-TT: Knock-Knock

**Sorry for the sudden hiatus, but real life happened. I won't get too heavily into it, but things have settled for now.**

 **Anyway, after careful consideration, I have chosen to take a break from LOTR after the Two Towers. I have read the constructive remarks from reviewers like SkyKicker10101, Nightstalker33, and WrighteousRighter, and decided that a break will be in order. Besides, part of the reason I did the binge was to find more material for the story, which I now have.**

 **Now, by popular demand from my reviewers, we will do MORE Lord of the Rings until the end of Two Towers!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 35 – Knock-Knock**

 **In the middle of a swamp in the dead of night, Yang slept soundly on the ground next to Ruby.**

"They're out of the rock maze. Looks like Cinder's actually guiding them," said Ruby.

"That doesn't mean she can be trusted," said Yang.

"Yeah, she's probably plotting a nefarious plan as we speak," said Nora.

Cinder snorted from within her bubble prison.

"We're right here, you know," growled Emerald.

"Leave it be Emerald, they aren't entirely wrong. I have a plan for when I get out after all," said Cinder.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" asked Qrow.

"It involves your school, and a lot of fire," said Cinder.

 **Ruby, unlike her sister, was not asleep. Instead she was awake, on her side, and looked at the ring in her hand. Her eyes held longing, and she stroked it lovingly.**

"Besides, you should worry about our dear heroine. She seems to have developed a love for gold," taunted Cinder.

"She's not you," retorted Ruby.

"For now…" allowed Cinder.

" _ **So bright… So beautiful…"**_

 **Ruby tucked the ring into her shirt, and looked over her shoulder. She saw that Gollum was still awake, and had a worm in her hand.**

 **She ate it.**

"Ugh," groaned Cinder.

"You hear that? That's the sound of humility," said Tai.

"It sounds so beautiful," said Yang.

 **Ruby then saw Gollum held up her hand, and began to pet her palm in the same way that Ruby did with the ring.**

" **Our Precious…" said Gollum.**

" **What did you say?" asked Ruby**

" **Mistress should rest," hissed Gollum, "Mistress needs to keep up her strength…"**

"Mistress…?' That's weird," said Ruby.

"That's right, so don't get used to it," bit out Emerald.

"Oh please, as if Ruby is twisted enough to enjoy being called that," said Weiss.

 **Ruby tucked her ring in, and moved to Gollum.**

" **Who are you?" asked Ruby.**

" **Musn't ask us. Not it's business!" hissed Gollum, "Gollum… Gollum!" she hacked.**

" **Ozpin told me you were one of the river folk," said Ruby.**

"I don't recall my counterpart saying anything like that," said Ozpin.

"Must have occurred elsewhere," said Glynda.

 **Gollum looked away…**

 _ **Cold be heart, and hand, and bone,**_

 _ **Cold be travelers far from home.**_

" **He said your life was a sad story," said Ruby as she moved around Gollum to face her.**

 **Gollum looked away.**

 _ **They do not see what lies ahead,**_

 _ **When sun has failed, and moon is dead.**_

" **You were not so very different from a hobbit once," said Ruby, as she looked Gollum up and down, "Were you?"**

"Wait! I'm not just a freak, but I'm a hairy footed halfling on top of that?!" shrieked Cinder.

"Oh this gets better, and better," laughed Raven.

"You said it," laughed Qrow.

The rest of the audience tittered, while Emerald and Cinder fumed. Mercury though, was more interested in his snacks.

 **Gollum looked at the ground, and played with another worm on the ground.**

"… **Cinder," said Ruby.**

 **Cinder stopped toying with the worm, and looked at Ruby with wide shocked eyes.**

"… **What did you call me?" Gollum shuddered.**

" **That was you name once, wasn't it?" asked Ruby, as she remembered Ozpin's words to her in the mines.**

 **Gollum looked down, and pondered.**

" **My name… My name…" Gollum heaved in shock, as though she had remembered something important, "Ci… Cin… Cinder…"**

 **Gollum smiled…**

"She forgot her own name?" asked Velvet, "That's actually really tragic."

"It can happen sometimes, especially when someone exposes themselves to shit that messes with their head," said Qrow.

Cinder pondered the information, before shaking her head.

'Whatever she went through, I'm stronger than that. No way would I forget something as simple as my name,' she thought to herself.

Though a small part of her said otherwise.

" _ **EEEEEYYYAAAAAGGHHHHHhhh…!"**_

Everyone in the audience jolted at the sound.

"No fucking way," said Coco.

"B-But Weiss, she drowned them!" said Ruby.

 **Ruby saw Yang bolt immediately out of sleep, and Gollum shrink on herself. As for Ruby herself, she broke out into a cold sweat, and her breathing picked up.**

" **B-Black riders!" sputtered Yang fearfully.**

" **Hide!" cried Gollum.**

 **Before Ruby could move images flashed in her mind.**

 _ **White spectres… Withered faces… The bite of steel…**_

" **Aagh!" Ruby cried as she felt pain flare in her shoulder where the stab wound was.**

Ruby began to shudder. Weiss, Blake, and Yang put their hands on Ruby, and the little reaper settled down.

"… _ **eeeyaaaa…"**_ **a faint whisper called to her.**

 _ **A white figure in a twisted crown flashed in vision.**_

" **NO…!" cried out Ruby.**

"She's still remembering," said Glynda.

"Of course she is. She went through a lot of trauma," said Tai.

"I know it's too late for this, but perhaps she shouldn't have offered to take the ring," said Ghira, "She should have spent more time in a place of healing."

"It _is_ too late for that dear, but I can see the logic," said Kali.

"Come on, you can do it Ruby! Move!" urged Nora.

" **Come on, Ruby!" said Yang as she helped her sister up.**

 **The two managed to get to a bush that Gollum hid in.**

" **Hurry! They will see us!" urged the corrupted creature.**

 **Yang managed to help Ruby to the bush, and when the two were in the bush, Gollum pulled the branches of the bush down to give them more cover as Ruby caught her breath.**

" **I thought Lady Weiss killed them…" remarked Yang.**

" **Kill…?" responded Gollum, in a dark tone, "No, you cannot kill them. No…"**

"Indeed. If I recall Mr. Arc's counterpart, they are bound to the ring," began Ozpin, "As long as that exists, there will be a way for them to return."

"That settles it. If she wants them to be gone for good, she needs to destroy it," said Winter.

"But can she?" asked Ilia, "I don't want to agree with the lady in the bubble, but Ruby's getting a little too friendly with that ring."

"Yang's there. She can keep her grounded," said Blake.

"If you say so," said Ilia.

" _ **EEEEEYYYAAAAAGGHHHHHhhh…!"**_

 **Ruby held in her breath, and Yang held onto her hand to comfort her.**

 **GGGRRRAAAAAGH!**

 **The two hobbits felt the air still, and suddenly, a winged beast flew overhead. It was a scaly thing, with a body and wings like a bat, a lizard-like tail, and a long neck and head like a drake. It was ebony in color, but the three tensed when they briefly saw the hooded black figure upon it.**

"Looks like they got a new ride," said Mercury.

"It looks pretty cool. Do you think it can breathe fire?" asked Emerald.

"No, it can't," said Archie.

"How disappointing," said Cinder.

" _ **EEEEEYYYAAAAAGGHHHHHhhh…!"**_

 **The three buried themselves further into the bush.**

" **Wraiths! Wraiths on wings!" shuddered Gollum.**

 **Ruby heard a whispering call… She reached for the ring…**

 **Before she could grab it though, Yang caught her hand, and held onto it.**

" **They are calling for it… They are calling for the Precious…" said Gollum, as the wraith made passes around their position.**

" **It's alright, Ruby… It's alright… I'm here…" said Yang**

 **Ruby immediately began to relax.**

 **Soon enough, the wraith ended its search, and flew off.**

 **The three sighed in relief.**

"See, they're fine," said Blake.

"Okay, I see it. They are a good duo," said Ilia.

"Hell yeah," said Yang cheerfully, "We're the number one sister duo out there!"

"Yeah!" cheered Ruby with a fist pump.

"Is that so?" asked Weiss, "I'm sure Winter and I could challenge your self-appointed title handily."

"Weiss, there is no need to prove something that is a given," sighed Winter.

"Whoa, whoa. What do you mean a 'given?' What are you trying to say?" asked Yang.

"Only that you lack discipline, and it would be a simple matter for my sister, and I to best you," said Winter.

"Why, I oughta…" said Yang.

"Schnees," both Ilia, and Qrow grumbled.

 **Jaune stirred from his slumber, and saw Ozpin stare off into the distance. On the horizon were the Ash Mountains that separated Mordor from the rest of the realm, and the red light of Mt. Doom made the sky beyond glow red.**

"Yay, more Jaune," said Nora.

"They're pretty close to Mordor," said Pyrrha.

"You know, if you ignore the fact that the land beyond the mountains is a hellscape, it's quite a beautiful sight," said Velvet.

'I wonder if you'd say that if you saw the real Salem's land,' thought Cinder as she snorted to herself.

 **Jaune got up, and walked over to the wizard.**

" **The veiling shadow that glows in the east takes shape," began Ozpin as Jaune stood next to him.**

 **Jaune nodded in agreement.**

" **Salem will suffer no rival," said Ozpin, "From the summit of Barad'dur, her eye watches ceaselessly. But she is not so mighty yet that she is not without fear."**

 **Jaune turned to him.**

" **Doubt ever gnaws at her. A rumor has reached her," Ozpin then turned to Jaune, "The Heir of Numenor still lives."**

 **Jaune turned to Ozpin, a surprised look on his face.**

" **Salem fears you, Jaune," said Ozpin, "She fears what you may become."**

"A king to challenge the queen, I suppose," said Ozpin.

"Funny how the wizard is pushing the man into such a position," said Raven.

Ozpin grumbled at Raven's words.

"Why fear him? It's not like he has an army," said Mercury.

"His ancestor did beat her with a broken sword," said Sun.

"Furthermore, he's got a claim to the throne. That can inspire people to rally to his cause," said Ren.

"Pfft… Whatever," shrugged Mercury.

" **That said, she will strike fast, and hard at the world of Men. She will use her puppet, Arthur, to destroy Rohan. War is coming. Rohan** _ **must**_ **defend itself, and therein lies our first challenge. Rohan is weak, and ready to fall. The king's mind is enslaved by Arthur. His hold over King Hazel is now very strong."**

 **Jaune nodded in understanding.**

" **Salem, and Arthur are tightening the noose… But for all their cunning, we have one advantage," declared Ozpin.**

 **Jaune turned to the wizard, who faced him in turn.**

" **The Ring remains hidden, and that we should seek to destroy it has not entered their darkest dreams," said Ozpin with a wry grin.**

" **They likely think we'd try to use it," said Jaune.**

" **Yes…" chuckled Ozpin, "Instead, the weapon of the enemy is moving toward Mordor in the hands of a hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom. We must trust now in Ruby. Everything depends on speed, and the secrecy of her quest."**

 **Jaune looked at the ground guiltily as he remembered letting Ruby go.**

" **Do not regret your decision to leave her," said Ozpin softly.**

 **Jaune turned to Ozpin.**

" **Ruby must finish this task alone," said Ozpin sadly.**

" **She not alone," said Jaune, "Yang went with her."**

"Like that was ever in doubt," said Yang.

"Yeah. Sisters forever," said Ruby.

"Seriously, how are you so positive all the time?" groused Emerald to herself.

" **Yang?" said Ozpin as he turned to Jaune.**

 **There was a light in Ozpin's eyes, and Jaune could see the smile grow on the wrinkled face.**

" **Did she? Did she, indeed?" Ozpin then chuckled, "Good… That is good to hear…"**

 **Jaune smiled warmly as he chuckled also.**

"That would be good to hear," said Ozpin.

"Really? Your counterpart seemed insistent that Ruby take care of it," said Tai.

"As did mine," threw in Glynda.

"With such power at your fingertips, people often close themselves off to others. For some it's to protect them, for others it's a sense of superiority. However, isolation can lead to madness, and having a close confident can protect from that. As we've seen, if Ms. Rose does get affected by the Ring, Ms. Xiao Long will keep her from falling," said Ozpin.

Raven, and Cinder snorted.

'Too late for Ozpin. He's lost his mind long ago,' thought Raven.

'Too late for Salem. The bitch is nuts," thought Cinder.

 **In the late afternoon of the next day, Ruby and Yang followed Gollum up the hill. Gollum then stopped at the top, and pointed to the distance.**

" **The Black Gate of Mordor!" announced Gollum as Ruby and Yang joined the deformed creature.**

"… **Save us. Those naysayers who doubted dad would have a thing or two to say about this," Yang said as her jaw dropped at the sight.**

" **Wow…" was all Ruby could say, equally stunned like Yang**

 **It was a massive black gate built, and hinged between two mountains. It had jagged, sharp edges, and as high as at least two or three balrogs with towers built atop each end.**

"That's a big door," said Mercury.

"How are they going to get past that?" asked Weiss.

"They won't," said Winter, "From a military standpoint, the best way would be to climb over the rocks it's built into. However, the slopes are too steep and jagged, and the lookouts would spot them before they could get to the rocks anyway."

"Maybe if they're patient, they could sneak in when the gate opens?" suggested Pyrrha.

"That would be good alternative, but as Ozpin said, speed is essential for their mission. They can't afford to wait too long, especially given the distance they'll still have to travel," said Ironwood.

" **Mistress says to show her the way to Mordor, so good Cinder does. Mistress says so," said Gollum.**

" **I did…" said Ruby, as she looked at the gate intently.**

 **In the corner of her eye, Ruby saw that Yang looked at the gate with an equal level of intensity.**

" **Well that's it then, we're never gonna get through that," said Yang in dismay.**

" **I don't see a way either…" remarked Ruby.**

" **Hoh-Hah-Hoh!" came shouts from below.**

 **The two hobbits jolted, and looked below. They saw an army approach the gate in a processional formation. They were cade in black, brown and bronze, and a horn blared from them.**

 **BWwwooo…**

 **Ruby, and Yang covered their ears for a bit.**

 _ **BBBLLLLAAAaaarrr…**_

 **The two hobbits winced at the second horn that came from the gate. When the noise dissipated, they watched as the gate began to open.**

 _ **CCCCRRRREEEAAAAAKKKK…**_

" **Look, the gate!" whispered Yang excitedly, "It's opening!"**

"Well, there's their chance," said Nora.

"No, they have too small a window," said Blake, "They'd have to climb down quickly, but that would draw too much attention."

"Not to mention that's the front door," added Ilia, "Even if they get past the gate, there's going to be heavy guard presence."

"In other words," cut in Emerald, "They'd have to look for a backdoor."

"Or a window," said Mercury.

"Or, their _trusted_ guide," chipped in Cinder.

"Ugh…" groaned Ruby, and her friends.

Cinder, and her crew smirked.

 **As the two hobbits watched the gate open for the approaching army, Yang crawled onto a rock to get a better look.**

" **I can see a way down," said Yang.**

 **Ruby almost smiled, but frowned when she saw the precarious position of Yang.**

" **Yang, no!"**

 **Crk…**

 **The rock Yang was on gave way, and she fell down the hill.**

"Oh shit!" yelped Yang.

"That'll give away their position," said Coco, who saw all the dust whip up.

 **Ruby immediately got to her feet, and went after her. She ignored the protest of Gollum, and slid down the slope of the hill in controlled slides and other rocks along the way to use as stepping stones. Eventually, she got to the bottom, and found Yang buried from the waist down, and stuck. Before Ruby could do anything, she noticed two figures from the army approach. They didn't them yet because of all the dust, but the cloud started to settle.**

"Oh no! They'll be caught," gasped Pyrrha.

"Dig! Dig!" urged Ruby.

"She won't have time to do that," said Weiss nervously.

 **With no time to dig her out, Ruby remembered something Ilia of Lothlorien mentioned, and grabbed her cloak. With a smooth motion, Ruby wrapped herself and her sister in the cloak, and felt it grow heavy.**

Ruby, and her team blanched.

"Hiding under the sheets?" snorted Raven.

"Talk about desperate," added Mercury.

"Wait, why aren't they being slaughtered?" asked Cinder.

 **The two figures stopped a good two yards before them, and surveyed the area. The two hobbits steadied their breaths, and the two soldiers could not find them even when they stared directly at them. The screen then showed the two soldiers stared at was seemed to be a large stone that probably fell from the heights.**

"That cloak is hiding them?" asked Ren.

"It must be imbued with magic," said Pyrrha.

Ruby jumped on the couch, and grabbed her cloak on the sides to spread them like wings.

"Hooded cloaks forever!" cheered Ruby.

"Ruby!" yelped Yang, and Blake.

"Ruby, we can't see!" complained Weiss.

"Ouch! Sorry to interrupt Ruby, but your foot landed on my leg," said Penny with a pained voice.

"Sorry Penny, are you ok?" asked Ruby who immediately went to the ginger's side.

"I'm fine… In fact I now know what pain is," cheered Penny.

"You're supposed to be mad, not cheerful!" declared Emerald, as Ruby turned embarrassed.

 **Eventually they backed off, and went back to the procession. Once they were a good distance away, Ruby removed the cloak, and began to dig Yang out. Once her sister was freed, they hid behind a rock, and watched the army enter into the gate.**

" **I do not ask you to come with me, Yang," said Ruby.**

" **I know, Ruby…" said Yang, who was at her side, "I doubt even elven cloaks will hide us in that land."**

 **The two readied themselves…**

"Are they going to go for it?" asked Pyrrha.

"That's too reckless," said Ghira, "Who knows what's beyond that gate.

"The girls are resourceful," defended Tai, "It's now, or never."

"I agree. Fortune favors the bold, and all," said Qrow.

" **Now!" declared Ruby.**

" **NO!"**

 **The two nearly ran, but two strong hands stopped them and yanked them onto their backs.**

" **NO! No, Mistress!" cried Gollum, "They catch you! They catch you!"**

 **Ruby ignored her, and made to run, but Gollum grabbed Ruby's wrist.**

" **Don't take it to** _ **her**_ **!" begged Gollum.**

 **That halted Ruby in her tracks, and faced their guide.**

" **She wants The Precious," said Gollum fearfully before she went to the rock away from the hobbits, "Always she is looking for it. And The Precious is wanting to go back to her…** _ **But we musn't let her have it**_ **.**

"Why stop them?!" complained Cinder, "Let them in, then let them be killed so you have a chance to take it!"

"No, listen to 'good' Cinder!" said Ruby.

"What did you call her?!" shrieked Cinder.

"Does that thing really count as 'Good Cinder?" asked Weiss.

"She's better than the one in the bubble," said Nora.

"For now," said Blake, and Yang cautiously, with nods from Ren and Pyrrha.

 **CCCCRRRREEEAAAAAKKKK…**

 **The gate began to close, and Ruby made a final run.**

" **NO!" cried Gollum as she grabbed Ruby's wrist, "There's another way. More secret. A dark way."**

"There is?!" gasped everyone.

"Never mind what said earlier! Suspicious!" declared Nora as she dramatically pointed her finger.

" **Why didn't you say so before?!" demanded Yang.**

" **Because Mistress did not ask," replied Gollum.**

"Seriously?" asked Yang.

"Nefarious!" added Nora.

" **She's up to something," said Yang as Ruby looked at the two in surprise.**

" **Are you saying there's another way into Mordor?" asked Ruby.**

" **Yes," said Gollum, "There's a path… And some stairs… And finally, a tunnel."**

 **Ruby looked at the gate again.**

 **CCCCRRRREEEAAAAAKKKK… Boom!**

 **The gate was shut.**

"There goes one chance," said Kali.

"But now another one has opened, albeit a dubious one," said Winter.

" **She's led us this far, Yang," said Ruby in a tired voice.**

" **Ruby, no," said Yang as she shook her head.**

" **She's been true to her word," said Ruby.**

 **Gollum looked to Ruby.**

" **Lead the way, Cinder," said Ruby.**

" **Good Cinder always helps," nodded Gollum.**

"Is that trust, or desperation?" asked Ren.

"Probably both," said Pyrrha sadly.

"This will end badly. Mark my words," said Raven.

"I agree," said Tai.

Cinder wondered how those four would look charred, and smoking.

 **Jaune and the others, led by Ozpin, rode over one of the many hills in Rohan. However, they stopped when they got to the top, and beheld a great settlement. Around a great hill was a palisade, and within were many wooden buildings. Atop the hill, away from the main body of dwellings was a palatial wooden complex atop the hill's cliff that oversaw everything.**

"That's an impressive building," said Ghira, "Almost reminds me of home."

"Where did they get the lumber for it though?" asked Blake, "I mean, this whole country seems more like rolling hills, and steppes.

"It's likely imported," said Glynda.

"Where are the farms?" asked Ilia, "A city that large should be able to support itself."

"Maybe the fields are on the other side of the city," said Qrow.

" **Edoras, and the Golden Hall of Meduseld," announced Ozpin, "There dwells Hazel, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Arthur's hold over King Hazel is very strong. Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here."**

 **The three riders continued onward, and approached the city. As they drew closer to the gate, Jaune slowed his horse as he saw something flutter toward the ground. It was a banner of Rohan, a white horse on a green field, which landed with a silent thud. Jaune's eyes lingered on the banner for a brief moment before he followed his companions into the gates of Edoras. What struck Jaune most was the silence of the city. All the three received were silent, cold stares. It was quite unnerving.**

"Yeesh, who died?" asked Yang.

"Arthur has taken control of the king, and the people must have caught on. Or at the very least, realized something was wrong," said Ozpin.

"Regardless of whether they know who's behind it, a sense of hopelessness must have begun to grow," said Ironwood.

"I suppose that makes sense. To ordinary people, the power of a wizard must be frightening," said Blake.

 **Jaune looked at the stony looks of the people again, and his eyes wanders upward toward the great hall. There he saw a woman in white, but couldn't make out her features.**

" **You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," said Ironwood.**

 **Jaune gave his friend a glance, before his eyes went back up, only to find the woman gone. He shook his head and continued onward. They eventually reached the great hall, and dismounted. As they approached, Jaune noticed the royal guard of the hall tense. However, before anything could be said, or done, the doors opened, and a retinue of soldiers exited the building to greet them.**

" **Ah…" began Ozpin, but the soldier raised a hand to halt the wizard.**

" **I cannot allow you before the King so armed, Ozpin," said the soldier before he adopted a more apologetic expression, "By order of… Roman Torchwick."**

 **Jaune frowned.**

"Roman?!" squawked everyone.

"Roman is a member of the king's court?" asked Cinder.

"Hang on, you know Torchwick on a first name basis?" asked Ironwood.

Cinder looked away, and her crew kept their mouths shut.

"Why would you turn over your associate…?" demanded Ironwood.

"It might've been planned, James," said Glynda.

"Well I guess I'll have to relocate that crook somewhere else, then," said Ironwood.

"There goes that part of the plan," muttered Emerald under her breath.

Cinder simply fumed at her slip up.

"… **Ah," replied Ozpin, before he nodded to Jaune, and the others.**

 **Jaune sighed, and disarmed himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blake and Ironwood disarm as well, with visible irritation or reluctance. The only one who didn't disarm was Ozpin, who seemed to smile.**

" **Your staff," said the guard to the wizard.**

" **Oh, surely you wouldn't depart an old man from his walking stick, would you?" asked Ozpin.**

"Is that what we're calling it?" asked Qrow.

"It's a good alternative role," shrugged Ozpin.

 **It took all of Jaune's self-control not to laugh, especially when Ozpin hooked his arm around Blake's so that she could "help" him walk. Blake looked wide-eyed at the wizard, and Jaune smirked when Ironwood coughed a little in amusement.**

Blake, Yang, and Sun snorted at the sight.

"Good to see you're finally acting your age," said Raven.

"Careful, Raven," warned Ozpin.

"Or what? Our friend," she began as she gestured to Archie, "…took our weapons. You're not in a position to punish me."

 **They entered into the great hall, and Jaune was stunned. If the silence outside was unnerving, the house of the king chilled him. The fires were not lit, there were no cheers, or laughs. There wasn't even a petitioner begging for the king's ear. The warmth, and life of the hall was replaced with heavy air, and coldness.**

" **A lot's changed…" remarked Jaune.**

"Changed?' Is Jaune familiar with this place?" asked Pyrrha.

"Jaune is a well-traveled individual, who had many adventures in this universe. I won't spoil too much though," said Archie.

 **Speaking of change, as they moved deeper into the hall, Jaune saw the king and he was shocked. King Hazel was wrinkled with a shrunken figure, his hair was white and unkempt, and he had a sickly look about him. What troubled him even more was the individual next to the king. He was a weasly looking man with a mop of oily red hair, and black and white robes whisper in King Reinart's ear as he sent the four a suspicious glance.**

" **That must be the king's advisor," pointed out Jaune.**

"He looks creepier in this universe, and that's saying a lot," said Emerald.

"Hazel… He doesn't look right," said Cinder.

He seemed so weak and frail, not like the muscular giant she was familiar with.

 **Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune saw several men among the gathered nobles follow from a distance.**

" **I count five, Blake," whispered Jaune.**

" **I see two more," she replied.**

 **Ozpin gave them a subtle glance before he strode forward.**

" **Get ready, Ironwood," said Jaune.**

 **The dwarf nodded.**

" **The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, King Hazel!" declared Ozpin brazenly.**

 **The red-haired man whispered in the king's ears.**

" **Why… should I welcome you, Ozpin… Stormcrow?" wheezed Hazel.**

"Stormcrow?" asked Ozpin.

"One of dozens of titles you are known by in the world of Men," said Archie.

" **A just question, my liege," said Roman loudly before he got up, and approached the four, "Late is the hour in which this 'conjurer' appears. Lathspell, I name you; Ill-news. And ill new is an ill guest, they say."**

" **Be silent!" snapped Ozpin, "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did not pass through fire, and death to bandy words with a witless worm."**

Everyone in the audience laughed at that.

 **Ozpin then pointed his staff at Roman, who began to sweat.**

" **His staff…" gasped Roman, "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"**

 **Immediately, the men that were hiding in the crowd rushed forward. However, Jaune, Blake, and Ironwood sprang into action themselves.**

" **Hazel, son of Holzfel, too long have you sat in the shadows," said Ozpin.**

 **Jaune punched a man in the gut, and threw him to the ground where he groaned in pain. He turned see Blake backhand an assailant from behind, and Ironwood kick the face of one of the downed attackers before turning to Roman who had collapsed in shock and fright.**

"Victory!" cheered Nora.

"Oh please. As if those fools could overpower the three of them, and a wizard," scoffed Weiss, though she was quite amused herself.

" **I'd be still if I were you," growled Ironwood to the king's advisor.**

" **Harken to me!" commanded Ozpin.**

 **Hazel gave Ozpin a stern stare.**

" **I release you from this spell…" said Ozpin as he closed his eyes, and extended his hand.**

 **The air rumbled softly, and Jaune looked at Hazel with intent.**

…

"Nothing's happening," said Tai.

"You think his powers are working?" asked Kali, unimpressed.

"Give it time," muttered Ozpin under his breath.

" **Ha… hah-ha… Ha-hah…" laughed the wizened king.**

 **Jaune looked on in fear, worried it was too late.**

" **You have no power here, Ozpin the Grey!" laughed King Hazel.**

 **Ozpin ied his staff, and unfurled his grey cloak to reveal his new white robes. Immediately, the room was filled with pure, warm light, and the king stopped laughing at once.**

" **Ah!" gasped Hazel.**

"A little dramatic, don't you think, sir?" asked Glynda.

"It's Ozpin," scoffed Raven, "Dragging things out is a given."

Ozpin scowled at Raven, who responded with a pointed look of her own.

" **I will draw you Arthur as poison is drawn from a wound," said Ozpin as he thrusted his staff in the general direction of the king.**

 **The King was immediately pushed against his throne.**

" **UNCLE!"**

 **Jaune immediately turned, and saw a figure in white rush to the throne. He stepped forward, and reached for her hand, and she turned to face him at once. She had tan skin, ruby-red eyes, and light green hair. Jaune immediately recognized her as the woman he saw in his approach to the hall.**

"What the fuck?!" gasped Emerald.

"You're in this?" asked Mercury, interested.

"Uncle?!" gasped Cinder.

Emerald was beginning to sweat a little.

'I'm in this?' she thought, 'Wait, did she and Cinder say uncle? I'm fucking royalty here?'

" **Wait…" he urged to the girl who looked at him in bewilderment, and confusion.**

 **She did, and the two watched on.**

"… _ **If I go, King Reinart dies,"**_ **declared the king in Arthur's voice.**

 **Ozpin thrusted his staff again, and the Hazel was pushed back into the throne.**

" **You did not kill me, you will not kill him," declared Ozpin.**

 **Arthur, through Hazel, pushed against the force of Ozpin's magic.**

"… _ **Rohan is mine!"**_ **declared Arthur.**

 **Ozpin pushed his staff again, and Arthur was pushed once more.**

" **Begone," ordered Ozpin.**

 **Arthur then made Hazel lunge at Ozpin, but Ozpin pushed one last time as the crystal of his staff flashed a brilliant light. Hazel landed hard onto his throne, which made the girl wrench her wrist from Jaune's grasp, and go to the king's side. The king almost fell off his chair, but the girl propped him back up with a look of worry.**

" **If that didn't work, this is going to get really awkward," whispered Ironwood.**

" **Shh," whispered Jaune as he watched.**

Everyone, especially Professor Ozpin, leaned forward to see if the new Ozpin was really that he was hyped up to be.

 **As the king panted for breath, Jaune saw the king's hair recede slowly. Color returned to the now brown locks, as did the man's color, muscles, and height. What was once an unhealthy old man, had become the man that Jaune envisioned the young prince would grow up to be. Most notable of the changes were the king's eyes. Before, there were dim, and hollow. Now, they were bright, and full of life as they looked at the girl in front of him.**

"… **I know your face," whispered Hazel as his broad hand tenderly graced her face, and he gave a warm smile "…Emerald?"**

" **Yes… It's me, uncle," Emerald smiled in joy.**

Emerald felt a tightness in her chest at the sight. This version of her had someone who cared about her; a family. She got angry. She didn't want to see anymore, and yet, a part of her wanted to keep watching.

 **The king smiled more broadly, and Jaune couldn't help but do so also. Jaune then saw Ozpin approach the king, the king turned in surprise.**

"… **Ozpin?" gasped Hazel in surprise.**

" **Breath the free air again, my old friend," said Ozpin.**

Ozpin felt a pain in his chest. While the objective part of him reminded who Hazel was now, the part of Ozpin that was a teacher could not help but long for a moment like this.

 **Hazel immediately pushed himself up to stand. There was a wobble that had Jaune worried, but he saw the girl help him up, and he relaxed. All around, he could hear the court mutter words of excitement of the fact that their king had returned.**

" **Dark have been my dreams of late," began Hazel as he flexed his fingers.**

" **Your fingers would remember their strength better, if they grasped your sword," said Ozpin.**

 **Immediately, Jaune saw the soldier who disarmed them go to the king's side, and present a blade handle-first. The king grasped it, and drew it slowly, and raised it high. Jaune could see the broadsword with a cross guard shaped like two horses rubbing brows glisten in the light. As he saw the guards of the hall stand taller with pride, he saw the king's advisor try to crawl away, but Ironwood kept him present. How unfortunate for Roman, since the king, with drawn sword, looked darkly at his now "former" confidant. Hazel looked to his guards, and he nodded toward Roman testily. Jaune saw Ironwood back off, as the guards seized Roman and dragged him toward the door.**

"And out you go," said Yang.

"Things aren't going to go well for him. Since this is a medieval society, I can assume that more… archaic punishments are the norm?" asked Ghira.

"Quite right," said Archie.

" **W-Wait, sire!" cried out Roman before he was unceremoniously thrown out the door of the hall.**

 **As he followed the furious king, Jaune winced a little at the sound of the man's body rolling down the stone steps could be heard from within the hall.**

" **I have only ever served you, my lord!" pleaded Roman.**

" **Your witchcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" roared Hazel.**

" **Send me not from your side!" begged Roman.**

 **Hazel lifted his sword, prepared to execute, but Jaune broke out into a run. As the blade swung down, Jaune caught the king's wrists and hands before he could deliver the blow.**

" **No, my lord! No! Enough blood has been spilled on his account," said Jaune.**

 **Hazel rounded to Jaune, and the fury that was in his eyes began to fade. A look of recognition appeared on Hazel's face, and the king slowly calmed down. The king looked at Roman once more, and then to Jaune before he lowered his sword.**

"Why did he stop him?" asked Mercury.

"I suppose it's because they have bigger priorities besides executing scum," said Ironwood.

"Shame. Torchwick's pretty annoying. It would have been funny to see the execution," said Mercury.

"You are one messed up guy, you know that?" said Sun.

" **Guards… get him on his feet," said Hazel calmly.**

 **Two guards went over to Roman, and hoisted him up, but did not let go.**

" **Take him to the western gate of the city, and give him a fresh horse," said Hazel.**

" **M-My lord?" gasped Roman.**

 **Hazel's eyes snapped to Roman, and the brief glimpse of his fury cowed the man.**

" **Given Ozpin's presence, I will likely ride to war soon. If you have served me, and** _ **only**_ **me, as you so boldly claimed, I expect to see you at the gate waiting dutifully for my arrival," said Hazel, "If not…"**

 **Roman gulped.**

" **If not, you had best be gone from Rohan, lest you face my wrath in full. This is the word of your king," said Hazel before he turned to the guards.**

 **The guards nodded, and dragged Roman away.**

"That does sound like something Hazel would do," said Cinder, "Him and his 'principles.' As if _she_ ever cared about that."

"So…he's merciful?" asked Emerald.

"I wouldn't go that far. He won't lash out at anyone outright. Unless Professor Ozpin is nearby," said Cinder.

'He doesn't lash out…' thought Emerald as she remembered some of the harsher memories of her childhood.

 **It was then that the two men saw the people of Edoras come toward them in awe at the return of their king.**

" **Hail, Hazel, King of Rohan!" declared one of the king's guards.**

 **Immediately the people bowed in reverence. Jaune too bowed, and Hazel watched briefly for a moment, before he bid Jaune stand up.**

" **Lord Jaune, if you travel with Ozpin, then something truly serious has occured," said Hazel.**

" **Yes," answered Jaune.**

"Wait Jaune knows the king?" asked Ruby.

"Archie did say he was well-traveled," said Pyrrha, "Maybe they're friends."

"You find out soon enough," promised Archie.

"Sounds like a bit of a bombshell," said Nora.

"That should be interesting," nodded Ren in agreement.

" **Before that though… Though my mind was under Arthur's influence, some words of those I care for were able to reach me," began Hazel, "Before anything, I must see my son."**

 **Jaune nodded, and watched on as King Hazel walked over to Emerald.**

" **Emerald, where is Birke? I faintly heard you earlier…" began Hazel, but he stopped.**

 **Emerald hung her head low, and the king's face paled as he realized what had happened.**

"…His son is dead, isn't he?" asked Ozpin.

"Quite a deduction. How did you know," said Archie.

"Hazel made that same face when Glynda, and I informed Hazel of his sister, Gretchen," said Ozpin.

 **A/N: Casting reasons down below. Hopefully, I'm accurate, or at least accurate enough.**

 **Eowyn – Emerald: I chose Emerald to fill in the role of Eowyn for two reasons. Eowyn has a bit of hero worship for Aragorn in the movies, which is somewhat reminiscent of Emerald's admiration for Cinder. The second reason is the strong sense of loyalty that Emerald displays for the people who have looked after her. As Cinder was the one who took her in, Emerald devotes her time and energy to seeing Cinder's vision come to life, even if she may not personally agree with it. Eowyn displays a similar devotion to Theoden. As such, I thought Emerald would be a good choice.**

 **Theoden – Hazel: I chose Hazel for Theoden mostly because of a few scenes from Volumes 5 & 6\. The first scene is from Volume 5 where Hazel is the one spiriting away Emerald when she exhausts herself on casting the vision of Salem. The second scene from Volume 6 is when Hazel assumes responsibility for the failed attack on Haven. I can see Theoden doing both of those actions, especially for Eowyn. Furthermore I wanted Ozpin to see an alternative relationship between him and Hazel. **

**Grima - Roman: They're both weasels.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The name I came up for Hazel's father, Holzfel, comes from the German word for "woodcutter," Holzfaller. It is a reference to Hansel and Gretel, whose father was a woodcutter.**

 **Preview: Chapter 36 (9/30/19)**


	36. LOTR-TT: The Path to War

**Hmm… Maybe I should stick with the one week updates.**

 **Anyway, considering how long it's been since I updated this story, I feel I should remind you guys that I borrowed a bit more from the books for this segment of the trilogy. So if you see anything that doesn't add up with the movie, that's why.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 36 – On the Path to War**

 **At a table in the halls of Meduseld, Ironwood practically inhaled a bowl of stew with ale as Jaune and Blake waited.**

"Someone's hungry," said Ozpin.

"So are most soldiers after a long day," said Ironwood, as if it were no big deal.

" **Are you sure you don't want any? I'd hate to eat while you two don't," said Ironwood before he drank some ale.**

" **I am fine, Ironwood. Eat. You ran the most when we went after Sun, and Neptune after all. I imagine it's much better than the bread we had to live off of," said Jaune.**

"Bread for days… That would be bad," said Coco.

"Indeed. A balanced diet is what keeps a warrior fighting fit," commented Penny.

 **Ironwood shrugged, and continued.**

" **Ozpin has been gone for some time," said Blake.**

" **He is with King Hazel, who is in mourning. I wouldn't be surprised if they did not return until nightfall," pointed out Jaune.**

"Hazel was like that as well," commented Ozpin, "When we told him about Gretchen, he was distraught. He told us to leave, and never return."

"The next time we heard of him was when one of our huntsmen returned half-dead from a mission," said Glynda.

'When he joined Salem,' Cinder thought with a dark smile.

She knew of the incident that the two spoke of, but it was quite amusing how the fools around Ozpin just blindly accepted the explanation. She heard Raven snort though, and saw the bandit roll her eyes. No doubt she thought along the same lines.

 **At that moment, the doors of the hall opened, and Jaune saw the king with Ozpin, the king's niece, and…**

" **Children…?" questioned Jaune as he noticed a young man with a younger girl with them.**

 **The children were dirty, and fatigued in their appearance. Jaune saw the king go to his throne, and sat there before he gestured to the duo.**

" **Speak," said King Hazel.**

 **The tall boy stepped forward, and bowed to the king.**

" **I'm from t-the Westfold, your highness. Orcs came to our village, with the wild men. Mother told me to take my sister here to call for aid. But when we got to the hills, we looked back, and our home… It burned," said the boy.**

" **These orcs. Were they from Mordor?" asked Hazel.**

" **I don't… think so. Papa said orcs were hobbled, wretched beasts. These ones stood as tall as a man, and had good armor on them. There was also a white hand-print on some of the helmets," said the boy.**

" **Isengard, sire," said Jaune.**

 **Hazel looked at the blonde, and nodded.**

"They're terrorizing the villages?" asked Ruby, aghast.

"It's an invading army," snorted Mercury, "What did you think they were doing? Selling cookies?"

Ruby, and her team sent glares toward the boy.

"It's a good tactic, militarily speaking," said Ironwood, "Since societies of this time relied heavily on the farms to provide food, if you can destroy them, you could lessen the amount of time an enemy army could fight you. All soldiers march on their stomachs."

"Also, if you terrorize the population, you can bring a nation to its knees more quickly," chimed in Raven.

"But that's terrible," objected Ruby.

"It's just like when we saw those aliens attacking that one city where Jaune was a super soldier," shuddered Velvet, who still remembered those aliens eating the corpses of people.

"There are aliens in these universe things?" asked Mercury.

"This is a multiverse library," said Archie, "Aliens are a small drop in the bucket compared to the wonders that exist in these volumes."

"Can't wait to see those then," said Mercury, a little giddy.

" **Get some food. You, and your sister shall be our guests this evening," said Hazel.**

 **They boy gave a tired, awkward bow, and Jaune saw Emerald, the king's niece, escort them to a table and fetched some food, and water. Jaune then saw Ozpin take the seat Roman once held, as Hazel reclined in his throne, his hand rubbing his brow.**

" **They had no warning, and were unarmed…" said Emerald to her uncle, "Now the wild men have joined? What are we to do, uncle?"**

" **Where's Mama?" asked the girl.**

 **Jaune saw the Emerald hush her gently as she draped a blanket around the girl, and directed her to the porridge.**

"Wow, it's so weird seeing you all doting," said Mercury.

"Shut up," muttered Emerald.

"I mean you're even feeding the little girl porridge. I'd say it was cute, but this is you after all. It really is another universe," snorted Mercury.

"Shut the fuck up," warned Emerald, "She's only like that because she can afford to be."

"And you can't?" asked Ruby.

"I'm a thief. You really think I'd be one if I had the option," scoffed Emerald.

"You always have the option," replied Ruby.

"Too late for that," snorted Emerald.

Though a part of her did wonder… Emerald shook her head slightly.

" **This is but a taste of the destruction Arthur would unleash upon your people," said Ozpin as he gestured to the children, "It will be even worse now, for he is driven out of fear of Salem. Ride out and meet him head on. Drive him away from your women, and children. You must fight."**

 **Hazel gave Ozpin a strained look.**

" **You have 2,000 good men riding north as we speak," began Jaune, "Ren is loyal to you. His men will return to fight for their king."**

 **Hazel got up from his chair with a stern face.**

" **Ren will be three hundred leagues by now. Ren cannot help us…" declared Hazel before he turned to Ozpin, "I know what it is you want of me. I want it too, for the honor of my son, and my people. However, war with an enemy head on? With no knowledge of that enemy's strength? Such an act would devastate us even more, and I will not take such a risk."**

"That's boring," said Mercury.

"That's Hazel. Never willing to fight if he can help it, but an absolute monster in a battle when he does fight," said Cinder.

"Good to know some of the things I taught him are sticking," said Ozpin to himself.

Though Ozpin shuddered what that would mean for him if the two of them should meet.

" **War and devastation are already upon you, whether you risk it or not," declared Jaune.**

 **Jaune saw Ozpin, Blake, Ironwood, and Emerald give him looks of shock, but Jaune did not flinch especially when the king rounded over to him.**

" **When last I looked Hazel, Son of Holzfal, was King of Rohan. Not you," said Hazel firmly.**

" **Then what is the king's decision?" asked Ozpin.**

 **Jaune saw the king look to the wizard, then to his niece. He saw the king make for the throne, got his sword which he rested upon the throne's side, and drew it forth.**

" **ARISE NOW, ARISE, RIDERS OF ROHAN!" shouted Hazel in a booming voice.**

 **Immediately, out of reflex, Jaune got to his feet, and the doors of the hall burst open as the royal guard marched in. Jaune remembered he wasn't part of the king's retinue, but chose not to sit back down.**

" _ **Westu Hazel hal!"**_ **shouted the guard as the genuflected before the king, "What is your command?"**

" **Rally our people, and send brave riders in all four directions of our lands. War is upon us!" answered Hazel.**

" **With who, our king?" they asked in concert.**

" **Isengard!" declared Hazel, "All who live in the west, and north must go Helm's Deep, those who reside in the east and south to be arm themselves and be ready for attacks from the east! Forth Eorlingas!"**

"Wow… My blood's getting pumped," said Nora.

"Hazel was a team leader back in Beacon; one of the best in the school's history," said Ozpin.

"Well, that's a good thing, all things considered. They're going to need a good leader," said Sun.

"Why 'all things considered?" asked Penny.

"Cause he's with _her_ in our universe," said Sun.

Cinder snorted as the monkey faunus pointed at her.

" **Helm's Deep?" asked Ozpin.**

" **Your command!" the guard all bowed, and stood before the marched.**

" **Emerald," called out Hazel.**

 **Jaune saw the girl approach, and curtsey before her uncle, the king.**

"Aww… You're even a prim and proper lady," cooed Mercury.

"Mercury, I swear if you keep poking, I will rip out your cheap-ass legs, and beat you with them," growled Emerald.

"Both of you, silence!" ordered Cinder.

The two shut their mouths and returned their attention to the screen.

" **Inform the court of my decision, then get those children to bed. By midday tomorrow, we leave Edoras," said the king.**

" **Yes, your majesty," bowed Emerald before she went off.**

" **Ozpin!" called Hazel.**

 **Ozpin, who had looked about ready to protest stood before the king and gave a bow.**

" **Where is Shadowfax?" asked Hazel.**

" **In the stable," replied Ozpin, "I merely borrowed him if you recall."**

" **He is yours now," said Hazel.**

" **King Hazel?" asked Ozpin.**

" **My gift to you, for saving me from Arthur," said Hazel, "Shadowfax allowed no one to ride when he was under my care, not even I, or my son. You though, were allowed, and for that, your gift has been chosen it seems. See to him well."**

" **Hazel…" began Ozpin before he bowed, "Thank you, your majesty."**

 **Hazel nodded before he faced Jaune.**

" **Lord Jaune. It is as you say, war and devastation are upon me, and my people. However, I shall face it on my terms," said Hazel.**

" **As you say, your highness," said Jaune apologetically with a bow of his own.**

 **Hazel then approached Jaune, and his expression softened.**

" **That said… I would like for you to help me, as you helped my father, all those decades ago," said Hazel.**

"Decades?!" gasped Pyrrha.

"Wait, did he say that Jaune helped his dad?" asked Ren.

Ruby turned to Archie.

"How old is Jaune in this universe?" asked Ruby.

"You'll find out quite soon, Ms. Rose. But yes, he is much older than the average human," said Archie.

 **Jaune lifted his head.**

" **My rage will not be satisfied until Arthur is kneeling before me in defeat," said Hazel before he extended his hand, "May we ride** _ **together**_ **, old friend?"**

 **Jaune looked at the hand, and then back to the king. For a brief moment, Jaune saw a youth with barely sprouted facial hair smile wryly at him.**

Ozpin remembered that look as well, and he felt sorrow.

 **Jaune smiled, and grabbed Hazel's wrist, which the king did in kind.**

" **You have grown much since those days, and I would be honored," said Jaune.**

"So how much older do you think he is? Any takers?" asked Qrow.

"Are you seriously suggesting we gamble?" asked Glynda.

"Stakes?" asked Raven.

"500 Lien," replied Qrow.

"90," said Raven.

"My money's on… 100," said Ghira as Kali whispered in his ear.

"Mr. Belladonna," objected Glynda.

"75," said Tai.

"66!" threw in Ruby.

"Do you even have 500?" asked Qrow.

"Nope! But Weiss does," said Ruby.

"Excuse me?!" gasped Weiss.

"87!" shouted Nora.

"That's a random number," said Ren, who then blinked, "Do _you_ have 500 Lien?"

"Pyrrha does," said Nora.

"Don't use your friends to bankroll your gambling!" shouted Weiss.

"Yes. I don't have that much money," said Pyrrha in agreement.

 **Hazel gave a wry smile, and nodded.**

" **Then rest, and be ready," said Hazel, and the king went off with light feet.**

"… **Helm's Deep," sighed Ozpin, as soon as the hall was empty, "Not my first choice."**

" **They flee to the mountains when they should stand, and fight? Who will protect them, if not their king?" added Ironwood.**

" **The king's not wrong," defended Jaune, "The uruks are strong, and Arthur's bred them for months. Who knows how many are in his possession now. Furthermore, Helm's Deep is great fortress that guards the western regions, and has protected the people of Rohan in the past."**

" **True," allowed Ozpin before he faced Jaune, "However, there is no way out of that fortress. I fear instead of safety, the king will lead his people to slaughter."**

"A fortress?" said Kali.

"Given that this is a nation that specializes in cavalry, a fortress does not seem like the sort of place they should focus on," said Winter.

"It'd be perfect for refugees like that child though," added Tai Yang.

"Or a last stand," threw in Coco.

"All good points," said Ironwood, "That said, they should take the fight to the enemy. Offense would be the best defense in this case."

"Even with a sizable portion of them missing with Mr. Ren?" asked Glynda.

"I wouldn't advise anything like a pitched battle. However, hit and run tactics would be most effective. The enemy seems heavily armored from what I've seen, and horses are faster. They'd stand no chance," said Ironwood.

"Given the more bloodthirsty nature of their enemy, it could work. They're hardly disciplined enough to focus on long term strategy," said Ozpin.

"Arthur would be though, and those creatures follow him to the letter, it seems," scoffed Cinder.

" **They will need you, Jaune. The king of Rohan, and his people, both. The defenses will have to hold."**

" **They'll hold," said Jaune firmly.**

 **Ozpin nodded.**

"I get the feeling we're going to see a big battle," said Coco, excited.

"Hopefully it comes up real soon," said Yang.

 **Gollum glowered at the two sleeping hobbits. In particular, she narrowed her eyes at Ruby's hand, which held the necklace that bore The Precious.**

" **We wants it. We needs it. Must have The Precious," spat Gollum, "They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbbitses. Wicked. Tricksy. False!"**

"She's plotting to take back the ring?" gasped Raven in "shock" before she snorted, "What a surprise."

"They need her though… At least for now," said Ruby, uncertain.

Cinder cocked an eyebrow, and Raven whistled.

"Huh… I didn't think you had it in you," chuckled Raven.

"Have it in – No! That's not what I meant!" yelped Ruby, who realized what Raven was suggesting.

"Yeah, Ruby wouldn't just off someone like that," defended Yang.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Anything can happen where that ring is concerned," replied Raven.

Ruby, and Yang both shuddered.

 **Gollum suddenly shook her head, and her furious expression became apologetic.**

" **No… Not Mistress…" she said softly.**

 **Gollum shook her head, and the expression of fury returned.**

" _ **Yes, Precious,"**_ **sneered Gollum,** _ **"They will cheat you. Hurt you. Lie."**_

"What the hell?" asked Cinder as the two different faces her counterpart made flipped back and forth on the screen like arguing pair.

"What's this? A split personality, or something?" asked Tai.

"I suppose… If so, it must have formed when she possessed the ring," said Glynda.

"I have heard of this phenomenon of human psychology, but I cannot fathom how it occurs," said Penny.

"I imagine she had to do it due to circumstances," remarked Ozpin, "If the ring took over her life, she likely isolated herself. However, people need to socialize, and at some point, her mind could have created a persona for her to interact with."

 **Gollum shook her head, and her expression was defensive.**

" **Mistress is my friend," said Cinder.**

" _ **You don't have any friends. Nobody likes you,"**_ **spat Gollum.**

Cinder blinked, but said nothing. Instead an old memory resurfaced…

… _A little girl with short ebony hair, a black eye, and a raggedy thing that was once her teddy bear crying outside her room. The little girl held the bear close to muffle her tears, and sobs. The little girl heard the laughter of two other girls. Older, stronger, meaner girls with shrill voices and harsh laughs in_ her _room._

" **Not listening. Not listening," Cinder muttered as she covered her ears.**

" _ **You're a**_ **liar** _ **, and a**_ **thief** _ **,"**_ **taunted Gollum.**

" **No," denied Cinder.**

" _ **Murderer,"**_ **added Gollum with a harsh whisper.**

 **Cinder began to cry.**

"That's intense," said Sun.

"I'm actually sad for her," said Velvet.

Ruby, and her team, gulped and nodded.

" **Go away…" she whimpered.**

" _ **Go away?! He-hah-hah-hah-hah!"**_ **Gollum laughed.**

" **I hates you," she cried as she ran her deformed hand through her balding head, "I hates you."**

" _ **You hates me, Cinder?"**_ **asked Gollum in a taunting manner,** _ **"Where would you be without me?**_ **Gollum-Gollum.** _ **I saved us! Me! We survived because of me!"**_

"I suppose as things got harder, the persona took over more," said Kali.

"That would make sense," commented Winter, "Soldiers who feel their lives are in danger will sometimes go into 'survival mode' to get through a dangerous situation."

Cinder's memory turned…

 _The girl didn't know how it happened. She didn't know how the fire started, or why it the flames refused to touch her. All she knew was that the girls with the harsh laughs now screamed like children. Part of her was horrified, but another part, deep within, smiled at the sight._

"Too true…" whispered Cinder to herself as she shook away the memory.

Hopefully, it would also shake off the feeling she felt within her.

"… **Not anymore," said Cinder.**

"… _ **What did you say?"**_ **asked Gollum.**

"… **Mistress looks after us now," said Cinder, "We don't need you anymore."**

" _ **What?"**_ **spat Gollum.**

" **Leave now, and never come back," whispered Cinder.**

" _ **RGH – No!"**_ **growled Gollum.**

" **Leave now, and never come back," said Cinder more confidently.**

" _ **GRAAGH!"**_ **shouted Gollum.**

" **Leave now, and never come back!" declared Cinder.**

"…"

 **Cinder blinked, and looked about. She turned around, and looked… there was nothing.**

" **She's gone…?" she ventured.**

 **Cinder hobbled about, tapped her head lightly, and looked around again and again.**

" **She's gone… We told her to go away, and away she went, Precious," Cinder laughed, and danced about jubilantly, "Gone. Gone! Cinder is free!"**

" **Mmm…"**

 **Cinder stopped dancing, and turned to see Mistress had turned over. Cinder put a finger over her mouth to silence, but the grin on her face just got wider.**

"Well… I wasn't expecting that," said Weiss.

"You think she, err, her other self is gone?" asked Yang.

"Doubtful," said Ghira, "I get the feeling it takes a couple visits to a psychiatrist to get something like a persona out of your head."

"That, and some pills," threw in Qrow.

Cinder felt oddly elated by the development.

'I guess this counterpart isn't so pathetic that some imaginary phantom is in control,' thought Cinder

She hated the feeling of being controlled after all…

" _Like how Salem is controlling you?"_ said a voice in her head.

Cinder flinched a little.

'Who said that?!' thought Cinder as she tensed.

There was no response.

 **In the morning the next day, Jaune walked through the halls of Meduseld, and entered the Great Hall. Among the busy servants going about their business preparing the evacuation, he saw the king's niece, Emerald, practicing with a sword. She moved elegantly through the hall as the blade cut through the air, and hummed in approval.**

"Huh… guess she's not just some prissy princess," said Emerald, a little impressed.

"She has good form," said Ozpin, offhandedly.

"Save the compliments, old geezer," scoffed Emerald

 **Jaune approached, his own hand on his elven dagger, and he drew it out. Emerald's blade collided with his, and she seemed stunned.**

" **You've some skill with a blade," said Jaune.**

 **Emerald frowned, and flicked her wrist. Jaune's sword was pushed and wheeled aside. His eyes widened as he now faced the tip of a sword toward his throat. As he lowered his dagger, Jaune nodded, impressed.**

"…Okay, she's cool," nodded Emerald.

"She threatens Jaune, and now she's cool?" asked Pyrrha through gritted teeth.

"Got your panties in a twist now? Because of my counterpart?" Emerald smiled wickedly, "Hmm… I like her even more now."

Pyrrha, and the rest of Jaune's team frowned. Archie sighed at the sight, certain his job of peacekeeping just got a little harder.

 **Emerald walked to a crate where an empty sword sheathe laid.**

" **Even before the Battle of the Five Armies, the women of this land learned that those without swords can still die upon them," she said as she sheathed the blade, "I fear neither death, nor pain."**

" **What do you fear, my lady?" asked Jaune.**

 **Emerald turned to him, and Jaune merely waited.**

"… **A cage," she said, "To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them. Until all chance of valor has gone beyond recall, or desire."**

"Huh?" asked Emerald, confused, "What did she say?"

"She's afraid of being in the background, and not gaining recognition," said Ozpin.

"…Really?" asked Emerald, "Why not just say it?"

"She's a high born lady. She is taught to speak in a certain manner to people of equal station," said Ozpin, "In regards to her fears, she seems to want a more active hand in supporting the king, as opposed to playing the role of the noble lady."

"That's… understandable, actually," admitted Emerald quietly to herself.

All her life, people passed her by, or considered her beneath their notice, no matter how much she tried to get their attention. Even her semblance seemed a reflection of both her desires and fears; the ability to make people see what she wanted, or didn't want them to see. It seemed even this version of her, despite their differences, was also going through the same thing. Even in how she wanted to support her guardian.

It made her feel a little better about her counterpart, and perhaps a connection as well.

 **Jaune regarded her for a moment before he shook his head in denial.**

" **No… You are of the house of kings," he saw Emerald snort and look away, but he pressed, "A shield maiden of Rohan. I do not think that will be your fate."**

 **Emerald looked at him with hopeful eyes.**

"Uh-oh… I know that look," teased Mercury.

"What look?" asked Emerald.

"Meh… You can figure it out. Besides, I wouldn't want to embarrass you," said Mercury with a grin that ticked off Emerald.

As Emerald turned back to the screen, she noticed Nikos stare at her with murderous eyes.

'Yeesh, what crawled up her ass, and died?' thought the thief.

" **Ahem…"**

 **Jaune turned and saw Ozpin approach, and he quickly joined him.**

" **It's time," said Ozpin as the two exited the hall, "The king will be ready soon, and I must go."**

" **Where are you going?" asked Jaune.**

" **To get aid, of course," said Ozpin, "His majesty knows my intentions, don't worry. I will see if my status as "The White Wizard" will prompt Lord Lie Ren to return."**

"How would that bring Ren back?" asked Nora.

"Bait," said Ozpin.

"Really?" asked Nora.

"Makes sense. My counterpart has a disdain for the 'White Wizard' after all," said Ren.

" **Is that wise?" asked Jaune, concerned.**

" **Probably not, but it will lure him to me," said Ozpin as they entered the stables, and approached Shadowfax.**

"Didn't _Wizard_ Ozpin disarm Jaune, and his friends though?" asked Ilia.

"While I'm flattered that you think so highly of my counterpart, that was three people. I doubt a whole army will be easy to best," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune opened the stall to the white horse, and Ozpin mounted the steed.**

" **Look to my coming. On the first light of the fifth day, at dawn, look to the east," said Ozpin knowingly.**

 **Jaune nodded, and Ozpin spurred Shadowfax into a gallop. The moment the wizard left, people began to stream into the building to get the horses ready. Jaune saw that Blake, and Ironwood's horse from Ren was not present, and he figured they were ready, and waiting. Jaune went over to a saddle to prepare his horse.**

 _ **NNNEEIGGHH!**_

 **Jaune stopped moving, and turned to see a horse had turned temperamental. Men with ropes tied upon the bridle struggled to control the steed, and Jaune set aside the saddle he held and went over.**

" **That horse is half-mad, my lord. There's nothing you can do, leave him," said one of the men, but Jaune ignored him.**

"Don't leave him!" protested Weiss, "Who knows what those foul creatures would do to him if they attack the city! What if he starves?"

"Wow, you really like horses," said Ghira.

"Of course," said Weiss, "They are beautiful animals, and I prefer their company over that of the Atlas elite."

"Hmm… I agree," said Ilia, "Because I had no outward animal features, I was able to attend a human school with little issue. The parties though… Ugh, the things they consider fun."

"Second that," agreed Winter, as her own memories of heiress resurfaced, "Curling is not a sport worth putting millions of Lien on."

The two Schnee sisters, and Ilia suddenly looked at one another.

"Aww… You guys had a heart-to-heart," cooed Yang.

"And you ruined the moment," sighed Blake.

 **The horse reared up, and its front hooves boxed about. Jaune moved slowly, and looked at the horse indirectly.**

" _ **Calm…"**_ **Jaune said in Elven.**

 **The horse kicked about more.**

" _ **Calm, my friend… Easy…"**_ **Jaune said calmly, as he tapped one of the men on the shoulder.**

 **The moment the man turned, he stepped in, and grasped the rope. Jaune nodded to the man, and the man let go. Jaune continued to coo to the horse in Elven, and made sure not to look at the horse directly in the eyes. Steadily, the horse began to calm itself, and Jaune looked to the second man, holding the second rope. The second man let go, at Jaune's nod, and went back to work. Jaune petted the horse along the neck, until its breathing evened out.**

"That was… very well done," said Weiss.

"Talking from experience?" asked Ruby.

"In a way. I saw our stable boys calm the stallions down from time to time, but I was never allowed to do it myself. I was the heiress, after all," said Weiss with a tinge of jealousy.

"It wouldn't surprise me if our Jaune could do that. Jaune's got some horses back home too," said Ren.

"He does?" asked Weiss, in surprise.

"They belong to the family," corrected Pyrrha, "He grew up on a vineyard, and mentioned some work horses that he would hitch to a wagon to deliver wine to the town for celebrations. He said that they weren't know for the tempers. However, when their tempers did flare, up especially when the mares were in heat, it was all hands on deck to settle them."

"Considering how stocky draft horses can be, that must take considerable effort," said Weiss, a little impressed.

 **Jaune undid the ropes that were tied to the bridle, and he contined to pet, and calm the steed.**

" **His name is Brego," said a voice.**

 **Jaune turned, and saw Emerald.**

" **He was the late prince's… My cousin's horse," she continued.**

" **Brego?" asked Jaune before he turned back to the steed,** _ **"Your name is kingly."**_

 **Emerald approached him, amazed with his skill with the horse.**

" **I've heard of the magic of elves, but did not look to find it in a ranger from the north. You speak as one of their own," said Emerald.**

" **I grew up in Rivendell, for a time," said Jaune before he gave a look to Brego, "Turn this fellow free. He's seen enough war."**

"Wait, he can talk to animals now?" asked Mercury.

"No," said Archie, "Jaune has fought many wars. He knows the effect that can have on the warrior, and the steed."

"War can affect horses?" asked Ruby, confused.

"Yes, back when cavalry existed" said Ironwood, "My grandfather fought in the Great War, well sort of; he was a courier. One day he was delivering a message to the front when he noticed the cavalry division lead this one stallion away from the stables. It was shot."

"Why would they do that?" asked Weiss, horrified.

"It was after the Battle of Black Skies, the last attempt by Mistral to reclaim their colonies in eastern Sanus. Vale launched so much dust artillery that day to prevent the Mistral and Mantle from securing a beach head that the sky went night-black, and the sands of the beach turned to glass. Apparently that horse was all that was left of Mantle's 12th Cavalry brigade. It would be spooked by any loud noise, and it always threw off its rider, no matter how skilled they were at calming horses. It was considered a kindness to put it out of its misery."

"That's terrible," said Weiss.

"It's also why after the war, cavalry was declared obsolete, and the practice of breeding war horses was discontinued," said Ironwood.

 **Emerald nodded, and Jaune made his way back to the saddle he carried earlier. He set it upon his horse, and mounted it before he left the stable. He joined Blake, and Ironwood, who were both waiting with King Hazel.**

" **It appears Roman Torchwick fled in the night," commented Blake.**

" **I see," said Jaune, "So, he has chosen Arthur as his master."**

" **No… He has simply lost faith in his kingdom," said Hazel.**

"Saw that coming a mile away," said Ilia.

"I think we all did," said Blake, as everyone else nodded.

" **Will you pursue him?" asked Ironwood.**

" **No… So long as he does not set foot again in these lands, he will be permitted to live," said Hazel.**

 **All three were mounted on horseback, and ready to go, and Jaune nodded to the three of them, and they went about their way out of the gates of Edoras.**

"So, do think they'll be safe?" Blake asked Ironwood.

"They may," said Ironwood.

"That's a different tune from earlier," snorted Raven.

"That was before Ozpin said he'd get reinforcements," said Ironwood, "Now that there's a possibility of a relief force, biding time in this Helm's Deep makes a little more sense. That way, they can confront the enemy at full strength when they're ready."

 **Ruby jerked awake, and saw Cinder with a giddy look on her face.**

" **Look! Look! See what Cinder finds!" cheered Cinder.**

 **Ruby suddenly noticed the weight on her lap, and she looked down to see two rabbits. She looked to Yang, with a happy smile.**

" **Yang, it's fresh meat," said Ruby.**

"Urk…" gagged Velvet.

"Uh-oh. You okay Velvet?" asked Coco.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… Just have to remind myself that they're normal rabbits," said Velvet uneasily.

 **Yang cringed a little as she glanced at Cinder, but did give Ruby a nod and a smile. Suddenly, Cinder picked one up, and bent it harshly with her gnarled hands.**

 **SNAP**

 **Ruby flinched a little.**

"Okay, not working…" said Velvet as she lowered her head to between her knees.

Coco leaned in, and rubbed circles on the faunus' back.

"Uh, you need a bucket Vel?" asked Sun.

"N-No, I'm fine," said Velvet.

" **They are yummy, they are tender, they are nice, yes they are," babbled Cinder as she ripped off the skin, "Eat them, eat them!"**

 **Ruby went speechless, and green when Cinder bit into the raw rabbit meat.**

"Disgusting," sneered Cinder.

"What's happening?" asked Velvet, who tilted her head up.

"No, don't look!" yelped Coco, as she pushed Velvet's head back down.

" **You'll make her sick, behaving like that!" shouted Yang, as she tore the rabbit away from Cinder's hands.**

 **Cinder looked at Yang confused, and a little angry.**

" **There's only one way to properly prepare rabbits," said Yang more calmly.**

"What way is that?" demanded Velvet, with Coco still keeping her head down.

" **No! No!" Ruby heard Cinder cry as her sister added herbs to the stew.**

"Yang, what's going on?" asked Velvet.

"Uh… nothing," said Yang, "Absolutely nothing that would make you freak out."

Coco immediately shook her head like a madwoman, and Yang go the message.

"She's stewing them," said Mercury.

"What?!" shrieked Velvet as she shot up.

Velvet rose with so much force, Coco and Sun were thrown back to their sides. Velvet shuddered at the pieces of meat floating in the thick creamy stew, and she felt queasy.

"Excuse me…" said Velvet before she covered her mouth, and ran off toward the corridor.

"Hey, douchebag!" shouted Coco.

"Yeah?" asked Mercury from within his protective bubble.

"If you ever get out of there, you're dead," warned Coco.

"Ooh, so scary," mocked Mercury.

"We'll help," said Sun as he gestured to every other student. He then turned to Coco, "Go after her; your partner needs you."

Coco nodded, and went after Velvet. Unbeknownst to everyone, Archie frowned at the sight.

" **What's it doing? Stupid, fat hobbit! She ruins it!" shrieked Cinder.**

" **Fat?" balked Yang, outraged.**

 **Cinder pointed to Yang's breasts.**

" **FAT!" shouted Cinder.**

"Someone's jealous," snorted Yang.

"Hardly…" scoffed Cinder, "Who wants back problems later down the road?"

Yang did a double take, and her eyes went red.

"What was that?" growled Yang.

"Don't Yang, she's not worth it," said Blake in a calming voice, "Besides you can't do anything to her anyway."

"That's right. Our dear friend wouldn't want his guest hurt now, would he?" taunted Cinder as Emerald and Mercury chuckled.

"Please refrain from lashing out, Miss Xiao Long," said Archie calmly.

"…Okay, fine," grumbled Yang.

Archie then snapped his fingers, and the bubble rippled violently.

"GYAAHH!" flinched Cinder, and her team as they covered their ears.

Unbeknownst to the people outside the bubble, a high pitched noise blared within the prison.

"As for you three, taunting your opposition is one thing, but deliberately provoking negative responses to the point that two viewers are missing out is quite another," said Archie sternly.

"Fucking bastard," ground out Mercury.

"It might be my job to see to your needs, but do not push it," said Archie, "Now then, let's continue."

The rest of the audience was stunned by the naked display of anger with the normally calm Archie. Even Raven blinked like an owl. With a wave of Archie's hand, the viewing continued.

 **Yang rolled her eyes.**

" **What's to ruin? There was hardly any meat on them," said Yang.**

 **Ruby went over to the packs to get some plates when she heard harsh bird calls.**

 _ **Clllll-AW… Clllll-AW…**_

 **She got out the plates and set them down in plain view.**

" **What we need is some taters now," said Yang.**

" **What's taters, Precious?" asked Cinder curiously, "What's taters, eh?"**

 _ **Clllll-AW… Clllll-AW…**_

 **Ruby heard the noise again, and moved in the direction it came from.**

" **Po-ta-toes," clarified Yang, as she began to walk off,** _ **"Stick them, mash them, boil them in a stew…!"**_

 **Ruby ignored the argument, and went further into the brush.**

"She shouldn't be going on her own like that," commented Ren.

"Oh no. Please tell me something like what happened with Pyrrha isn't going to happen again," said Ruby.

"No Arc to bail you out this time," commented Mercury to himself.

Archie sent a look, and Mercury turned away.

 _ **Thump… Thump… Thump…**_

 **Ruby crouched, and made her way over to a nearby cliff. There, she saw a large army heading in the direction of the Black Gate. The army wore scaled, and linen armors. All of their faceds were wrapped, and they had weapons even more exotic than the army that went through the gate earlier.**

"Huh, they remind me of the Vacuo warriors that we see in movies back home," commented Sun with interest.

"More allies of Salem, I presume," said Ozpin.

"How many allies does she have?" asked Tai.

"I highly doubt they're allies by choice," said Raven.

 **Ruby heard a noise behind her, and turned. She saw Yang, and Cinder had both joined up.**

" **Who are they?" asked Yang.**

" **Wicked Men; servants of Salem," said Cinder, "They are called to Mordor. The Dark One is gathering all armies to her. It won't be long now. She will soon be ready."**

" **Ready to do what?" asked Yang.**

" **To make her war. The last war. One that will cover the world in darkness," answered Cinder.**

" **We've got to get moving. Come on, Yang," said Ruby.**

" **Wait," said Yang.**

 **Ruby turned when Yang grabbed her wrist, and her jaw dropped when she saw it. There were two giant creature, each as tall as small castle, and grey in color. Each were on four legs with a massive body, a stocky head with large flappy ears, and a long trunk that went all the way to the ground. They both had four massive tusks that curved like sabers, and large platforms with men upon their backs.**

" **It's an Oliphant," said Yang, "No one at home will believe this."**

 **Ruby also had an excited smile on her face.**

"Wow… It's like a goliath!" gasped Ruby with a delighted face.

"Ooh, Ren! I want to ride one!" declared Nora as she shook Ren to get his attention.

"Nora… It's not… a carousel…" said Ren in between shakes.

"Calm down, Nora," chuckled Pyrrha, "It's not like Ren has one stashed away."

"It would be an interesting war beast though," said Ghira in awe.

"As if any nation would try to use grimm in a war," snorted Winter.

"Well…" began Ironwood.

Everyone rounded over to the general in surprise.

"Seriously?" asked Qrow.

"It was a wacky idea presented to the top brass. Nothing came of it," said Ironwood.

 **Clllll-AW… Clllll-AW… Clllll-AW…**

 **The three heard the calls, and were stunned by the intensity of them. It was then that Ruby noticed Cinder was not with them anymore.**

" **Cinder?" called out Ruby in a loud whisper.**

Ruby gasped.

"She ditched them?!" roared Yang.

"Treachery!" shouted Nora.

"I saw that coming a mile away," sighed Raven.

Cinder just rolled her eyes.

 **Fwish… Fsssh…**

" **ARGH!"**

 **The two hobbits stopped their search for Cinder, and looked back to the army. The men were panicking, and the oliphants were spooked. The army was ambushed by an unseen force that hailed arrows upon them. Ruby looked in fear as one of the oliphants marched in their direction with a terrified cry.**

 **HHHHHRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIOOOOO**

 **Suddenly the beast changed direction, and moved elsewhere.**

 **SNAP**

" **Ahhh!"**

 **A body from the platform fell near them, the body twisted slightly from the impact.**

" **We've been here too long," said Ruby.**

 **Both hobbits got to their feet, and were about to run. But Ruby was soon greeted with a large body, which grabbed her.**

"Oh no!" gasped Ruby.

" **R-Ruby! Let her go!" shouted Yang as she drew her sword.**

 **However, they were both swarmed by more men. One of them disarmed Yang as she charged, and both were picked up, and thrown to the ground before swords were drawn toward them. The hobbits saw their captors wore brown leather armor with a tree on the cuirass, green hooded cloaks, and black masks. They were armed with bows, and their eyes were unamused, yet curious.**

"Wait, that tree on their armor… That's the same tree my counterpart had on her vambrace," said Pyrrha.

"You're right," said Ren, "That must mean they're friendlies."

"Are they though?" asked Weiss, "Your counterpart wasn't exactly friendly to Arc when they first met."

"Once the situation is explained, it'll be fine," said Nora.

"As long as the ring isn't mentioned," said Cinder.

"True," agreed Raven as the other viewers remembered what happened to Pyrrha's counterpart.

" **Wait, were innocent travelers!" said Yang in protest.**

" **There are no 'travelers' in this land, only servants of the Dark Tower," said a voice.**

Mercury suddenly tensed.

"No fucking way," said Emerald.

Cinder leaned forward curiously.

 **The two hobbits turned to see a man with a bow approach. He had black eyes, and silver hair covered by his hood. The other men backed off slightly as he approached.**

"That jerk's here too?" asked Yang.

"And at my mercy, too," said Mercury, a little smug.

Yang muttered darkly, but kept her cool this time.

" **We are bound to an errand of secrecy," said Ruby.**

 **The man turned to her.**

" **Those who claim to oppose the Enemy would do well not to hinder us," said Ruby.**

" **The 'enemy?" snorted the man, who gestured to the man who fell off the Oliphant, "Your sense of duty was no less than his."**

 **Ruby blinked, and looked at the dead man as his body was flipped over. She saw the face of a man in his late teens, with a short barely grown beard, and the blood that leaked from the mouth, and peacefully shut eyes.**

"He looks so young," said Ghira sadly.

"That's war…" said Ironwood grimly, "Still, I know what you mean."

" **I wonder what his name is… Where he came from… If he was really evil at heart…" said the man sadly.**

 **Ruby looked back to the man.**

" **What lies, or threats led him on his long march from home," continued the man softly, "If he would've rather stayed there… Be at peace."**

"What's with the commentary? The guy's dead; what's there to think about?" snorted Mercury.

"Have you no respect for the fallen?" asked Winter.

"What's there to respect? They're enemies," said Mercury, "I doubt people like you show respect to those morons in the White Fang."

Winter growled, but stayed silent. It seemed he hit the nail on the head, and Mercury smiled in his small victory, as the faunus in the room shot him a sharp glare meant to rebuke him.

'Pft… Whatever,' thought Mercury.

 **The man turned to Ruby, and then looked to Yang.**

" **Bind, gag, and blindfold them. They're coming with us," said the man.**

" **But, Captain, our orders-" said one of the men.**

" **I'm aware of what they are. But these two claim to be on our side, I will allow them to explain themselves. If they can't,** _ **I**_ **will deal with them," said the man.**

" **Yes, Lord Mercury," said the man.**

"Lord Mercury? I like the title, but he seems like dork," said Mercury.

"I don't know…" hummed Emerald, "Unlike you, he actually seems to have a brain."

"What?" groused Mercury.

"He just gives off that feeling," teased Emerald.

Mercury grumbled, and Emerald smiled in triumph, unaware of just how close Archie was to snapping his fingers again.

At that moment, there was a noise at the corridor, and Coco and Emerald appeared.

"Hey Archie, sorry for running off like that," said Velvet apologetically.

Archie smiled kindly.

"It's alright; I understand, Miss Scarlatina," said Archie.

"So, what'd we miss?" asked Coco.

 **A/N: So now that the bad guys have seen their counterparts, what will they feel? Disdain? Hope? Find out in a couple of chapters because I don't do sudden reformations. Also, who was talking to Cinder? You'll find out pretty soon, assuming you don't figure it out.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **Hazel making his decision comes from a scene in the books when Theoden returned, and called his warriors to his side. I figured this would suit Hazel better.**

 **The memory Cinder revisits is loosely inspired by her fairy tale reference "Cinderella."**

…

 **Preview: Chapter 37 (10/9/19)**


	37. LOTR-TT: Detour

**Sorry for the late update, I got 2 new game, and they are glorious…**

 **However, on the writing front I had skipped over a whole scene while blitzing to get the Two Towers content finished, and I needed to fine tune some of Weiss' reactions. In any case, the home stretch is in sight, then it's back to the multiverse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 37 - Detour**

" **You know, it's true you don't see many dwarf women," began Ironwood from atop his horse, "In fact, they are so often alike in voice and appearance, that they're often mistaken for dwarf men."**

 **Jaune saw Emerald turn to face him, and made a gesture to his chin.**

" **Beards… They have beards…" he mouthed jokingly.**

 **Emerald's face contorted into a disbelieving smile.**

"Shit… Maybe that's why they have such a low birth rate," snorted Qrow as he remembered Archie's comments from earlier.

"You realize he's joking, right?" asked Pyrrha.

"Of course" said Qrow flatly.

"Oh, I wanted to see a bearded lady," complained Nora.

"You could always go to a costume shop," snorted Emerald.

"Ooh, great idea… No! You're a plotter like Ms. Nefarious; bad idea!" responded Nora.

"Ms. Nefarious?" mouthed Cinder.

" **In fact, it's led some to believe that there are no dwarf-women, and that dwarves just pop out of holes in the ground," continued Ironwood, oblivious to the joke, "Which, of course, is ridiculous – AH!"**

 **The horse had been spooked, and galloped down the hill before stopping. The sudden stop made the dwarf fall off, and a number of people laughed.**

" **Master Ironwood!" laughed Emerald as she ran over to him to help him up.**

" **I'm alright! It was deliberate!" laughed off Ironwood.**

"Deliberate…? Reminds me of a young lieutenant acting suave on a motorcycle," teased Glynda.

"Oh… I was hoping you forgot about that," said Ironwood with a nervous laugh.

"Wasn't that bike a rental?" asked Glynda.

Ironwood tugged his collar as Qrow, and Winter cocked their eyebrows in surprise.

 **Jaune snorted, and he chuckled from atop his steed. It was then that he heard the sounds of hooves to his side. Jaune turned, and saw the king look at the scene fondly from his own horse.**

" **It's been a long time since I saw my niece smile," said Hazel.**

 **Jaune looked back.**

" **She was a girl when they brought my cousin in law, her father, back home dead from a battle with orcs," said Hazel.**

 **Jaune's face grew s** **erious.**

" **She watched her mother succumb to grief, and she was left alone. To tend to her king in growing fear. Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her like a father," said Hazel.**

Emerald shuddered a bit at the thought.

 **Jaune looked ahead, and saw that Emerald looked at the two of them with a bright smile.**

" **She's quite strong to have carried such a burden," said Jaune.**

" **She needed to be, but she had Birke and Ren as well. There was also my sister, Gretchen. Emerald didn't have to face such trials alone," said Hazel.**

"Well isn't she lucky…" she whispered to herself.

Emerald's hands tightened into fists as the envy came back. However, oddly enough for her, there was another feeling as well. It was a light feeling, with a small amount of joy. She wasn't sure what it was, but it felt oddly familiar.

 **Later in the day, Jaune sharpened his sword when he saw a shadow over him. He looked up, and saw Emerald with a pot with steam rising out, and bowl and spoon in her other hand.**

" **I made some stew. It's not much, but it's hot," said Emerald politely.**

"Oh man, this should be good," smirked Mercury.

"What? It's just cooking," said Emerald.

"Yeah, _your_ cooking," said Mercury.

Cinder tittered a little.

"What about my cooking?" asked Emerald.

 **Jaune nodded, and put his sword down. When he looked up at Emerald again, he took a bowl that she offered, along with the spoon. After he said his thanks, he spooned out a fatty piece of meat with some of the vegetables, and slurped – he looked stunned, and then stared at the stew in his hand. His eye then went up, and saw an expectant look on Emerald's face. He willed himself to swallow, and took a breath.**

" **It's… um, it's good," said Jaune in a level voice.**

" **Really?" asked Emerald, excited.**

"He likes my cooking, so what's the problem?" asked Emerald.

Suddenly, the bubble rippled. The three villains immediately covered their ears, but no noise came. The only noise they could hear was Pyrrha whistling to herself.

"What happened?" asked Cinder as she removed her ears.

"Sorry, I was about to sneeze," said Archie.

Everyone raised an eyebrow.

"He can sneeze?" asked Qrow.

"We freaked out over nothing then," sighed Mercury in relief.

As they looked back to the screen, Archie glided over to Jaune's team.

"Eh-hem," Archie quietly cleared his throat, so that the villains wouldn't hear, "Pyrrha, do I have to put you in a bubble too?"

Pyrrha looked away embarrassed. Archie then presented her with the candy bar that she had thrown, and he made disappear before its target caught on.

"Do not do that again," said Archie.

"Ok," she replied sheepishly.

 **Jaune nodded quickly, and he saw Emerald turn around to leave. After she took a few paces, Jaune slowly moved his hand to dump the stew into the ground.**

"Ha-ha!" laughed Mercury.

"That jerk! My cooking is good," said Emerald.

"Apparently not!" added Mercury.

"Just you wait, Mercury. You'll get yours," grumbled Emerald.

" **My uncle told me a strange thing!"**

 **Jaune quickly brought the stew to his lap, which caused the hot broth to spill. He winced a little, but Emerald turned around just in time avoid seeing it.**

" **He said that you rode to war with Holzfel, my grand uncle, but he must have been mistaken," said Emerald.**

"Looks like we'll see who wins the bet," said Qrow.

"Ooh, money, money, money…" cackled Ruby excitedly.

"No, your bet does not count," said Weiss.

"How about mine?" asked Nora.

"You're minors. Neither of you count," said Glynda flatly.

"Boo!" shouted Nora, and Ruby.

"If you want to gamble, get your own money!" declared Weiss.

 **Jaune chuckled.**

" **The king has a good memory. He was a boy when I last saw him," said Jaune.**

 **Emerald looked stunned, and sat herself before him.**

" **Then… You must be at least sixty," said Emerald, astonished.**

 **Jaune smiled, and shook his head.**

"I lost!" booed Ruby.

"You're not even part of the pot," said Weiss in relief.

" **Seventy…?" she pressed; he did not reply.**

"Damnit," grumbled Tai.

" **You cannot be eighty!"**

"… **Eighty seven," said Jaune at last.**

"B-But! NO!" cried Nora, as she grabbed Ren and Pyrrha by their outfits, "1500 Lien… right through my fingers! Stupid Professor Goodwitch, and her rules! WAH!"

Pyrrha, and Ren patted their teammate on the back as the ginger cried comically. Glynda mere pinched the bridge of her nose, and suspected Nora would be holding that one over her head for the coming years in Beacon.

Raven though got up, and walked over to Qrow. It set Tai, and Yang on edge, since they were nearby. However, they turned curious when she presented an open hand to her brother. Archie, also curious, stopped the viewing.

"Since I was closest to the age, fork it over," said Raven.

"I didn't make an official bet, besides I happened to think he was that old too," said Qrow.

"Lies!" shouted Nora.

"I know you didn't make a bet, but Tai did," said Raven.

"So why are you asking me?" asked Qrow.

"He won't hand it over, and a little birdie told me _you_ owe him some favors if I recall," said Raven.

"I do?" gasped Qrow.

"He does…?" gasped Tai.

Tai's brain got going, and he remembered all the times he and the girls let Qrow sleep on the couch… And eat their food… And damaged the flower garden he worked hard to maintain… And many other things, all of which ended with either an off-handed "Thanks Tai, I owe you one," or, "Sorry Tai, I'll make it up to you."

"Oh yeah…" agreed Tai.

"Seriously?" asked Qrow, betrayed, "Who's this little birdie?"

Raven smiled wickedly, and Qrow realized who it was.

"Of course…"grumbled Qrow as he fished out 500 lien.

Raven got the money, and went back to her seat. On the way, the Belladonnas were counting their money, and Kali offered it to Raven.

"A bet's a bet," said Kali.

Raven was about to get the money, but had a better idea.

"Actually, no, you keep it," said Raven with a smile, "Your daughter is partners with mine, and you seem like such nice people."

"What the fuck?!" balked Yang.

"Oh, come on!" shouted Qrow.

"Oh, that's nice of you," said Ghira.

"I don't know, you did win…" said Kali.

Raven waved it off, and went back to her seat as she savored the sounds of her brother fuming. Archie laughed silently as he waved his hand, and continued the viewing.

 **Emerald looked stunned, and she rose to her feet.**

" **To be so old, and still appear as you are… You are one of the Dunedain! A descendant of Numenor blessed with long life. It is said your race had passed into legend," said Emerald.**

 **Jaune nodded to every claim, save the last one.**

" **A few of us remain. The northern kingdom was destroyed long ago," said Jaune.**

" **I'm sorry," said Emerald, who then shook her head, "Please, eat!"**

 **Jaune looked back up at her stunned, and a little afraid. Still he took a breath, and continued to eat the "stew."**

"So, what is Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"Remember how I mentioned that Nicholas Schnee had a twin brother in this universe?" asked Archie as he paused the viewing, "Well, like all members of the family, the two were given the choice to live as either a human, or an elf. While Nicholas chose to live as an elf, his twin brother chose to live as a human. He would then go on to found his kingdom, in an island continent given to him and his followers as a reward from the gods for standing against the first dark lord. That continent was called Numenor."

"I'm guessing that the long life comes from the elven blood," said Ozpin.

"Kind of," replied Archie, "It's rather complicated."

"Wait, if Jaune is royalty from that line… Then does that mean… We're relatives in this universe?!" shuddered Weiss.

If Archie could give a visibly flat look, he gave it to Weiss.

"Considering that there have been thousands of years of generations between them, I'm not sure it counts. Besides, if you were still that closely related to Jaune, neither Nicholas, Jaune, or yourself would ever approve such a union. There is still a sense of propriety after all," said Archie.

Weiss, and Winter looked at one another dubiously, but Winter simply shrugged. Weiss then joined her sister in watching, slightly comforted by the fact that she and Arc weren't related to one another that closely in this universe.

 **Later, Jaune was helping the refugees lead a horse with belongings along. He was momentarily distracted, and almost slipped on a loose stone. Jaune caught himself, and righted himself up. As he brushed off the concerns of some of the people, he felt a tap on his chest. He looked down, and saw the crystal necklace Weiss bestowed him.**

" **Where is she?"**

 **Jaune turned to see Emerald look at him curiously.**

" **The woman who gave you that jewel?" Emerald pressed.**

 **Jaune looked down…**

…

 **Jaune stood before Nicholas, who had a stern face upon him.**

"Flashback, or a memory?" asked Nora.

"I think they're kind of the same," said Ren.

"This must have happened before they left," voiced Pyrrha.

" **Our time here is ending," said Nicholas as he looked at Jaune, "Weiss' time is ending."**

 **Jaune looked Nicholas, stricken.**

"Wait… Does that mean my counterpart is leaving as well?" asked Weiss, a little concerned.

"What's the matter Weissy, worried you won't get to see the wedding?" teased Yang.

"Pfft… Hardly. More like my counterpart doesn't seem the type to just run away," said Weiss.

"She did stand against those riders when she could have ridden off," hummed Winter in agreement.

" **Let her go," said Nicholas, "Let her take the ship into the West. Let her bear away her love to you in the Undying Lands."**

"… **Have her become nothing more than a memory?" Jaune asked in accusation.**

 **Nicholas frowned.**

" **I will not leave my granddaughter here to die," said Nicholas.**

Weiss gasped a little.

" **She stays because there's hope-"**

" **She stays for you!" rebuked Nicholas, "She belongs with her people."**

"How would her staying lead to her death?" asked Weiss.

"Nicholas' brother chose mortality. I'm not sure if he witnessed the aging process, but it affected him deeply. I believe his concern stems from the fact that if your counterpart chose to go with Jaune, she would naturally become mortal," said Archie.

"And he does not want that for her," surmised Weiss.

On the one hand, her grandfather didn't want to lose her, especially given what happened to her mother and his brother in this universe. However, it was still her counterpart's decision.

 **Jaune moved toward the waiting fellowship with quiet steps, as he sheathed his sword in a last minute inspection.**

" _ **Is this how you take you leave?"**_

 **Jaune stilled, and tuned to see Weiss in a gown with a bemused look on her face.**

" _ **Did you think you could slip away at first light – unnoticed?"**_ **she pressed in elven.**

 **He looked away, embarrassed, as she wheeled around to face him.**

"… _ **I will not be coming back,"**_ **he replied, after a moment's hesitation.**

"What?" gasped Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ruby.

"He's going along with grandfather's suggestion?" gasped Winter.

 **Weiss tilted her head in confusion as he tried to walk away.**

 **She followed.**

" _ **You underestimate you skill in battle. You will come back,"**_ **stated Weiss with confidence.**

" _ **It is not of death in battle that I speak,"**_ **said Jaune.**

 **Weiss now got in front of Jaune, to keep him from going further.**

" _ **What do you speak of?"**_ **asked Weiss, now concerned.**

Almost all the girls leaned forward.

 **Jaune took her hands despite his own shaking, and he looked her in the eyes. Her face then turned frightened, likely as she saw his own fear. Jaune took a breath.**

" _ **You have a chance for another life,"**_ **said Jaune in Elven, "** _ **Away from war… grief… and despair."**_

" **Why are you saying this?" asked Weiss in shock.**

" **I am mortal. You are elf-kind," said Jaune, "It was a dream, Weiss… Nothing more."**

Weiss was almost struck by the words. Granted, a few days ago before the dance, she probably would have told Jaune a similar phrase, though in a more aggressive manner. However, after Jaune had helped Neptune pull himself together for her, she had realized that Jaune genuinely liked her. Even if that affection meant he threw out his own chances in the process for her to be happy.

'I see where he's coming from, but does he really think this will make her happy though?' she thought.

Even if this was another universe, after what Jaune did for her in their own reality, this version seemed a little disappointing.

 **The words hurt to say, but he had to say them. He didn't want her to have to undergo the toils of mortality for the sake of their love. Furthermore, there was no guarantee he'd return. However, Weiss frowned at him, a hint of anger in her eyes.**

" **I don't believe you," she whispered.**

 **Jaune did not want to part for the journey like this… He shook his head, took her by the hand, and presented her with the jewel she gave him.**

" **This belongs to you," he said.**

"So, they broke up?" asked Emerald.

"Impossible," snapped Weiss.

 **She looked at him, and gave brief smile.**

" **It was a gift," said Weiss, as she closed Jaune's hands around it, and nudged it to him, "Keep it."**

…

"… **My Lord?" asked Emerald.**

 **Jaune looked to her as he remembered where he was.**

"… **She's sailing into the undying lands with all that is left of her kin," answered Jaune sadly.**

"I think they broke up," said Mercury.

"Be quiet! We don't know that," growled Weiss.

"Weiss…" warned Winter.

Weiss crossed her arms, and huffed as Mercury and Emerald snickered.

 **At that moment, some scouts rode ahead, and Jaune tended to the horse and urged it on. However, he noticed that the horse was getting restless. It seemed to resist being pulled along forward, and Jaune began to pat the horse to calm it. Still the horse wouldn't calm that easily.**

"Something must be bothering the horses," said Blake, in the hopes that it could get Weiss' mind off of what they just saw.

"Mr. Expert can just calm them down," snorted Weiss.

Blake sighed a little, and everyone who remembered the old interactions with Weiss and Jaune winced.

"So much for-"

" _ **AAAAGH!"**_

Everyone returned their attention to the screen, a little on edge by the scream.

 **Jaune whipped around, and looked in the direction the scouts rode to. Jaune ran in the direction, and he heard a shrill cry in the air. As he got to the top, he saw Blake wipe a blade on a dead warg: a wolf the size of warhorse.**

"That's a big wolf," said Sun.

Blake tensed at the oversized dog, and even hissed at it.

"Seriously Blake? Even on screen dogs?" asked Kali.

"It's huge!" complained Blake.

 **The warg had a saddle, and near the fallen beast was a dead orc, and a dead rider of Rohan.**

" **A scout!" said Blake as she noticed him.**

"I guess those creatures have an answer to Rohan's cavalry," observed Winter.

"A lethal answer," agreed Ironwood.

 **Jaune immediately turned back, and ran down to the others.**

" **What is it? What do you see?" demanded Hazel as he rode up to meet him.**

" **Wargs! We're under attack!" replied Jaune.**

 **Immediately, the refugees began to panic, and the escort kicked their horses into action to ride ahead and intercept. Jaune immediately got to his horse from Ren, and Emerald gave him the reigns.**

" **All riders to the head of the column!" commanded Hazel.**

 **As Jaune steadied his steed, and began to move, he saw Ironwood scramble onto another horse. Jaune winced a little, but ultimately said nothing as they needed all fighters at the ready. As he began to push ahead, his keen hearing picked up a conversation.**

" _ **You must lead the people to Helm's Deep, and make haste,"**_ **said Hazel in the distance.**

" _ **I can fight!"**_ **objected Emerald.**

" _ **No!"**_ **declared Hazel.**

 **Jaune turned to see the king was in a stare down with his own niece before he softened his eyes.**

" _ **You must do this for me,"**_ **said Hazel.**

 **Emerald backed down, and Hazel turned around to join up with his men.**

" **Follow me!" declared Hazel, and all the men rallied to their king.**

 **Jaune spurred his horse onward, and rode ahead, only stopping for a moment to give a nod of approval to Emerald, who had a look of longing on her face.**

"I knew it!" laughed Mercury.

"What?" groaned Emerald, already dreading the answer.

"She's crushing on him," said Mercury.

"What?!" shrieked Emerald, "What the hell gave you that idea."

"I've seen you make that face… once in a while," said Mercury.

"Pfft… She wants to fight numbskull," said Emerald.

"Sure keep telling yourself that," said Mercury.

Emerald rolled her eyes, but then felt a chill. Out of the corner, she could see Nikos, and some of the other girls give her a look that gave her chills.

'What the hell's wrong with those girls?' thought Emerald with a shudder.

" _ **Stay together!"**_ **was all he heard of her as he rode into battle with the other riders.**

" **Forward!" commanded the king.**

 **Jaune turned his horse around, and then turned his head to see Ironwood riding next to him.**

" **Don't fall," joked Jaune.**

" **I'll fall on the enemy!" roared Ironwood.**

 **Jaune smirked, and rode hard with the others.**

 **As they approached up the hill, they saw Blake standing alone on the top of the hill taking shots. Ironwood rode closer to her, and Jaune saw her react and fluidly vault onto the horse with one hand.**

"Wow, like a ninja!" said Nora.

"Well she does read books about them," said Ruby.

"Ruby!" yelped Blake as Yang laughed.

"Are you still reading those?" asked Kali teasingly.

"N-No!" denied Blake.

 **Now that the three were together again, Jaune focused at the approaching enemy before him. A pack of massive wolves with armed riders snarled and snapped as they waved their swords and taunted.**

 **Jaune saw Hazel draw his blade, and he followed suit.**

" _ **GRRRAAAAGH!"**_ **roared the lead rider of the orcs.**

" **Charge!" cried Hazel from the side.**

 **Jaune closed in, and soon the enemy was upon them. Some of the wargs lunged at the horses, and bit into their throats, others targeted the riders with varying degrees of success and failure. Some of their allies died instantly from the initial wave. However given the hunger of the wargs, the rabid steeds chose to eat horses as opposed to capitalize on the initial casualties. Some riders would be in control, and follow up, but there was always a tension between the rider and the mount.**

"That's a mess," said Raven unimpressed, "Savagery only get an attacker so far."

"Quite, those wolves are making their own riders vulnerable to a counterattack," agreed Winter.

 **Jaune and his allies though recovered from the initial collision first. He Blake shoot an arrow at a rider, and several spears thrown by the Rohirrim at the wargs to dismount, and/or kill the enemy riders.**

" **RAAARGH!"**

 **Jaune turned for a moment to see Ironwood had leapt off the horse and tumble unceremoniously.**

Ironwood face palmed, and Glynda giggled.

 **Jaune though had to focus, and sliced into the mouth of a warg that lunged at him.**

 **Meanwhile, Ironwood got back onto his feet, and he saw a warg swallow a piece of horse meat when it noticed. Ironwood hefted his axe as the massive wolf stalked toward him.**

" **Come on… Bring your pretty face to my axe," taunted Ironwood.**

 **The warg lunged, but Blake rode by and shot it with an arrow.**

" **HEY! That one counts as mine!" he cried in outrage.**

"He does that too?" gasped Ironwood.

"Sir?" asked Winter.

"Um… I used to keep score," said Ironwood.

"Really?" asked Qrow.

 **Another warg was seen on his periphery though, and Ironwood skillfully lodged his axe into the beast's jaw.**

 **The momentum of the warg made it land atop of Ironwood, however.**

" **OOFF-AH!" groaned Ironwood.**

Ironwood ran a hand through his head as he groaned.

 **Meanwhile Jaune saved an archer from a rider when he drove his blade into the orc. The orc tumbled off, and the warg broke away from the battle. However, to Jaune's dismay, another warg tore into the same archer.**

"That's harsh…" sighed Coco uncomfortably.

"The battlefield can be very hectic, to say the least," said Winter.

 **King Hazel, and his riders were also starting to push back against their attackers. While fearsome beasts, the wargs were far less cooperative with their riders than their horses were. Steadily, the attacker's offensive began to crumble. Most of it was due to Hazel's coordination, but in truth, many orcs were terrified of the giant king's savagery in battle.**

 **Jaune saw Hazel chop his sword through an orc rider's neck, and chew through the armor. Hazel then fluidly whipped the sword out of the orc, and plunged it through an attacking warg's skull like a stake.**

"Wow… Was your former student that strong?" asked Ghira.

"That's a small display of what Hazel's capable of. His semblance lets him ignore pain. If he unleased it, he becomes a nearly unstoppable," said Ozpin.

"Indeed," chuckled Cinder.

" _Someone's thirsty…"_ said a voice in Cinder's head.

"What the hell?" yelped Cinder.

"You ok?" asked Archie.

Cinder gripped her head.

"Fine," she growled.

 **Meanwhile, Ironwood began to push off the warg.**

" **Stinking… Creature…" he groaned as he tried to wiggle out of the position he was in.**

 **However, another weight was added, and Ironwood looked to see an orc with a dagger.**

" **Graawrh!" it shrieked as it moved in.**

 **However, Ironwood brushed the dagger aside with his gauntlet, and grabbed the orcs head and twisted.**

 _ **KRACK**_

 **The orc slumped down upon him, it's armpit just above his face.**

" **UGH!" groaned Ironwood.**

"Is it over yet?" asked Ironwood, who buried his face his palm.

"I thought he dealt with the assailant quite handily," said Glynda, impressed.

Ironwood peaked out from his face's hiding spot.

"Really?" asked Ironwood, hopeful.

 **Ironwood pushed up, and began to lift both off his body so he could slide out. However more weight was added, and he looked up to see the orc's mount look down from atop the two dead weights.**

"Oh no, look out general!" yelped Penny.

 **Jaune saw Ironwood, and spurred his steed forward to a spear embedded in the ground. He picked it up as he galloped past, and hurtled it at the warg as it reared its head back. The spear landed in its shoulder, and it fell atop.**

" **OOOHHH!" wheezed Ironwood.**

"REALLY?!" groaned Ironwood.

Glynda simply laughed, though Winter and Penny hid their giggles.

 **Jaune rolled his eyes, and spurred his horse. He rode to another warg rider, and cut him down. As he pulled his blade though, he felt a small shift in the wind, and turned. A lone warg that lost its rider lunged and knocked him off his steed.**

 **As he got his feet, one of the warg riders rode with his blade high. Jaune ducked, and grabbed the enemy rider's stirrup and vaulted himself into the saddle. Jaune head butted the surprised orc in the face, but was quickly met with an elbow. The orc then deflected a sword strike from an allied rider, before it delivered another swift blow toward Jaune.**

 **Jaune fell off…**

RWBY, and Jaune's team gasped a little.

… **And he grabbed onto the saddle strap.**

RWBY and Jaune's team sighed in relief.

 **As the warg ran, it turned its head in attempt to snap at Jaune's skull, but Jaune knew the warg couldn't reach. He was more concerned with the orc, who could reach him with his blade. Jaune quickly pulled out his dagger from Lothlorien, and pulled himself up as the orc raised its sword. Jaune plunged the dagger into its chest.**

" **GGRRAAGH!"**

 **Though successful, the orc had enough strength to grab Jaune by the wrist. However before he let the orc follow up, Jaune pulled the rider down, and though the orc tried to grab his collar, it tumbled to the ground as Jaune pulled his dagger out of his enemy. As he recovered, Jaune noticed that the warg was running for the cliff.**

"Get off that thing!" urged Weiss.

"Hurry!" added Nora.

"He's stuck to the saddle…" pointed out Ren as his knee shook.

 **Jaune tried to use his dagger to cut the saddle strap he was stuck to. However, the warg ran past the cliff as it attempted to bite at his head. By the time it realized what it had done, Jaune and the warg were in free fall.**

"Shit…" breathed Qrow.

 **In the free fall, Jaune saw a river running, and he cut the strap with his dagger and pushed. As the two tumbled, the warg tried to snap at him, the plummet didn't last long. The warg landed hard on the ground while, by mere feet, Jaune barely landed in the river, and the world went dark.**

"Ooh… that'll leave a mark," winced Mercury.

"He landed in the water though… He has a chance," retorted Ruby.

"Whatever you say," shrugged Mercury.

 **Roman held a candle in hand, as he was escorted by an orc to a door in the dark tower of Orcthanc.**

"Looks like we'll see what Roman's been up to," said Emerald.

"Other than his usual weasel moves?" asked Mercury.

Cinder snorted, and laid back to see how their thief-companion's counterpart fared.

" **His lordship is waiting in there," it growled.**

 **Roman sneered slightly at the creature, but nodded. He opened the door as the orc hobbled off, and entered into the chamber. He saw the back of the wizard, and he gave a courtly bow.**

" **You summoned me, my lord?" asked Roman.**

" **Yes, Roman. You mentioned that the king's sole course to challenge me is Helm's Deep," said Arthur as he grabbed a flask with black sand.**

" **Yes… With Lie Ren banished, along with many of their best warriors, as a result of your strategy, the king cannot face you in pitched battle. The fortress is his only option, if he wishes to fight you, and protect his people," said Roman.**

" **Tell me of this fortress then," said Arthur as he examined the black sand.**

 **From the corner of the room, Roman slinked toward his master as he held a candle.**

" **What do you wish to know, my lord?" asked Roman.**

" **Is there any weakness in the defenses?"**

"Is he really going to sell his own people out like that?" asked Ilia aghast.

"This is Roman Torchwick," snorted Emerald, "He'd sell his sister if it meant getting a good deal out of something."

"That's unsurprising," snorted Ironwood, "Though I wonder what you have on him that convinced him to resist interrogation?"

"His life, of course," replied Cinder, "The only thing that fool cares for more than money his own skin."

"You make it sound as though the entire Atlas military couldn't stop you," said Ironwood.

"True. You can't," said Cinder as her eyes briefly flared with the aura of the Maiden.

" _Knock it off!"_ said the voice from before.

Cinder cut off her use of the power, and she winced.

"Having trouble controlling it?" taunted Ozpin.

Cinder growled, confused by the voice in her head.

Archie though looked at Cinder with a slight amount of intrigue.

 **Roman was thoughtful, and turned when he heard the sound of pouring sand.**

" **Helm's Deep has…** _ **one**_ **weakness," said Roman, "Its outer wall is solid rock except for a small culvert at its base which is little more than a drain."**

 **Roman heard more sand be poured, and he took a second look at his master. Arthur was pouring black sand into metal vessels, and he vaguely remembered something about fire as a part of the siege plans. This confused Roman, as there was no straw or thatch used in the fortress.**

" **How? How can fire undo stone?" asked Roman as he approached with his candle, "What kind of device could break down the-"**

 **As Roman peered within, he felt a hand grab his own, or rather, the candle. He turned to see Arthur with a pointed expression as the candle was guided away.**

"Is that dust?" asked Ilia.

"It's not… There's no hue," said Weiss.

"It's called 'black powder,' not dust," said Archie, "It's a combination of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. The mixture has to be precise. Otherwise, it just creates a strong burning odor. In fact, in the universe where Jaune was a super soldier fighting aliens, it is still the key propellant in firearms."

"Huh, I thought it was only good for fireworks," said Tai Yang.

'You can buy those ingredients fairly cheaply in our universe if you know where to look. Maybe…' thought Ironwood.

Ironwood wondered if he could exploit the information. In remnant, firearms largely relied on dust. They were excellent against grimm, but was extremely expensive, and usually meant remaining on good terms with the SDC and their questionable business practices. However, if he could find the proper mixture to match dust round in power, then that would mean Atlas' military would no longer be beholden to the SDC. It could once again draw the line between them, and return Atlas' military to the people of _both_ Atlas and Mantle.

" **If the wall is breached, Helm's Deep will fall," said Arthur simply as he walked away from the vessel.**

" **Even if it is breached, it would take a number beyond reckoning, thousands, to storm the keep," declared Roman.**

" **Tens of thousands," replied Arthur as he approached one of the door that overlooked the tower grounds.**

" **But my lord, there is no such force!" insisted Roman as he went through the door with his master.**

 **BA-WO-BA-WOOOOOooo…**

 **Roman immediately paled at the sight. Squares and columns of uruk-hai chanted and raised their weapons and banners before their master. Roman had never seen so grand an army and he shuddered in fright.**

"There's so many…" said Ruby with a gulp.

"Those weapons look lethal for the era," noted Ghira.

"No way would they win in a pitched battle… Even hit, and run wouldn't do well with that army, and those wolves at their disposal,"

"Even with the lack of coordination?" asked Tai.

"Cavalry relies on momentum in both attack, and retreat. While uncoordinated, those wolves will disrupt their horses. The fort probably is their best chance against that," said Ironwood

 **Suddenly, they went quiet, and he noticed that Arthur had settled them with a mere gesture.**

" **A new power is rising! Its victory is at hand!" declared Arthur. Roman saw the wizard allow the cheers for a moment before he got them to settle down once more, "Soon, this land will be stained with e blood of Rohan! March to Helm's Deep! Leave none alive! To WAR!"**

 **The army cheered, and Roman gulped.**

" **There will be no dawn for Men," said Arthur quietly as his army began to march.**

"Those people… They won't last," said Emerald.

"Feeling sorry for them?" asked Mercury.

"…As if," said Emerald quietly to herself.

'They're my counterpart's people though… Bah! Why am I freaking out over some other universe! Who cares?!'

If only she didn't feel angry when she thought about what those creatures would do.

 **From atop a marching ent, Sun saw something.**

"Hey, it's us!" said Sun.

"We haven't seen them in a while," said Velvet.

" **Hey! Look, there's smoke to the south!" he called as he pointed.**

 **Sun saw Neptune look in the same direction of the black smoke pillar.**

" **There is always smoke rising from Isengard these days," said Treebeard deliberately.**

" **Isengard?!" asked Neptune.**

 **The two scrambled to the top of Treebeard's head to see if they could get a better view from the top.**

" **There was once a time when Arthur would walk through my woods," said Treebeard before he shook his head gently, "But now he has a mind of metal, and wheels. He no longer cares for growing things."**

 **Sun and Neptune got to the top of Treebeard's head, and saw a great tower in the distance. There was a light fog, but they could see a black shape move away with the distant sound of a war horn.**

" **What's that?" asked Sun.**

" **It's Arthur's army… War's starting!" answered Neptune.**

"I guess, they have to figure out a way to get in on that," said Sun.

"Ozpin did mention something about you ending up with those tree people as being more than a coincidence," said Velvet.

"You think they can be convinced?" asked Coco, who then pointed her thumb at Emerald, "She had a point earlier. There's no guarantee they'd help, even with a common enemy."

"They'll figure something out. Me, and Neptune always do," said Sun.

Weiss grit her teeth a little.

'Doesn't anyone get taught proper grammar anymore?' she thought.

 **On the shores of a river, Jaune smelled something awful.**

"Jaune's alive!" cheered Ruby, and Pyrrha.

"Naturally. That's a huge volume," said Nora with a relieved laugh.

"You were nervous too," said Ren.

"I know…" sighed Nora, relieved.

 **FFffrrr…**

 **Whatever it was, it nudged and nudged, until he finally stirred. Jaune opened his eyes, and he was greeted by the sight, and smell, of a horse's snout.**

"Talk about a wakeup call," snorted Qrow.

"A rooster's starting to sound pretty appealing," chuckled Tai.

 **His eyes adjusted, and he could not help but notice a familiar looking rope hanging off the horse's bit and bridle.**

" **Brego…?" Jaune groaned.**

"The same horse from before?" asked Winter.

"He must have made an impression upon that horse. My horses always seem excited to see me when I enter the stables for my morning ride," explained Weiss.

"Is that so?" mused Winter.

 **Suddenly, the horse began to fold its legs to sit, and Jaune forced himself onto his elbows, and pulled himself up onto the bare back of the waiting steed.**

" **I need help, Brego… Though that will mean dragging you to war…" said Jaune gently.**

 **The horse simply snorted, and got onto its feet.**

"… **One last war?" said Jaune.**

 **The horse began to walk away from the river, and Jaune grasped the rope that dangled from the horse's bit tiredly.**

" **West… To Helm's Deep," said Jaune as he tugged it.**

 **The horse complied.**

"That should give him some time to rest up," said Yang.

"As long as he doesn't fall off. Isn't it hard to ride a horse without a saddle?" Blake asked Weiss.

"It's tricky, but not impossible," said Weiss, "The horse is going a slow enough pace, so he should be fine."

That gave Ruby, and Jaune's team some relief.

 **Weiss reclined in her bed, and stared out the window, lost in thought.**

"Looks like you're up, Weiss," said Ruby.

"I wonder why…" mused Weiss.

" **Weiss."**

 **The princess turned, and saw her grandfather, Nicholas, look upon her with a serious expression,** _ **"It is time."**_

 **Weiss sat upright, and faced her grandfather.**

" _ **The ships are leaving for Valinor,"**_ **he continued in Elven,** _ **"Go now… Before it is too late."**_

"He's trying to get her to go…" said Weiss.

"But why? If Jaune's king, then he could visit. Diplomacy, and all that," said Ruby.

"That does seem like the best solution. He makes it sound like that they'll never see one another again," said Pyrrha.

"They won't," said Archie.

"What?!" gasped Weiss.

"The High Elves of Middle Earth defied the gods to settle the lands. Once they return, they will be forbidden from leaving. Mortals likewise are forbidden from entering the paradise of the elves, and gods, with only two exceptions in recorded history. The last time they did so, Numenor was plunged into the sea, and the race of the Edain, the high men from which Jaune is descended from, was sundered beneath the waves. The only ones who remained were those who remained loyal to the gods," said Archie.

"So… once she decides to become mortal…" Weiss wondered aloud.

"That's it… By divine decree, she can never be with her family again," said Archie.

Weiss gulped.

'Could I truly just cut off all ties?' she wondered.

In their universe, Whitley and her father, certainly. But Winter? Klein?

…Her mother?

She was a drunk now, certainly. But there was a time when she was a mother. One who said Winter could go on adventures if she wanted, and taught her how to ride and treat a horse. Suddenly, the true weight of her counterpart's decision revealed itself. It wasn't just a simple matter of following one's heart. It was a decision that would result in the permanent end of ties that were likely hundreds, or thousands of years strong.

" **I have made my choice," she said.**

 **He approached his granddaughter, and looked sternly.**

" **He is not coming back," he said firmly.**

"You don't know that," objected Ruby.

"He will come back," agreed Pyrrha.

 **Weiss looked away.**

" **Why do you linger here, when there is no hope?" he pressed.**

 **She looked back at him with an equally firm expression.**

" **There is still hope," she replied.**

 **Nicholas looked at her a moment longer, and began to pace toward another window.**

" **If Jaune survives this war, you will still be parted," he stated as he stopped.**

 **Weiss turned thoughtful, and pondered his words.**

"How? They'll be together," wondered Kali.

" **Have you foreseen something?" she asked.**

"Forseen?" asked Winter.

"The elven side of Weiss' family has quite a lineage, and an inheritable ability. Sound familiar?" asked Archie.

"And this ability is foresight?" asked Weiss.

"That seems far less reliable than what we have," said Winter.

"So what do you have?" asked Ruby.

"Family secret," said Weiss, "Maybe once I pull it off, I'll let you know."

" **If Salem is defeated, and Jaune made king, and all you hope for comes true, you will still have to taste the bitterness of mortality. Whether by the sword, or the slow decay of time, Jaune will die," said Nicholas.**

 **Weiss suddenly beheld a vision:**

 _ **Weiss stood clad in black among an army of mourners in a city of white stone. She approached a slab of marble where Jaune's body was laid, and she began to weep. He was clad in armor, with his crown, and his sword laid upon his body. His body was old and his hair was white like hers, however, she appeared as young as she did when they first met.**_

"… **And there will be no comfort for you. No comfort to ease the pain of his passing," continued Nicholas, as Weiss envisioned herself mourning.**

"She still looks so young," said Winter, shocked.

"That's a part of making the choice. Though she's mortal now, she ages slowly. Nicholas' brother lived to his 500s after his 410 year reign," said Archie.

"She could live that long?!" Weiss practically coughed, "Jaune's practically middle-aged in this universe."

"Meaning, you could outlive him," said Winter.

 _ **The vision showed the steady passing of time. The city now seemed abandoned, it's gardens withered, and its streets empty. Weiss stood before the slab, still in mourning garb. The body of her love had been replaced decades ago with a marble stand-in in the exact pose as when he was laid to rest, though some details were exaggerated.**_

" **He will come to death. An image of the splendor of the kings of Men undimmed before the breaking of the world," continued Nicholas, "But you, my granddaughter, will linger on in darkness and in doubt, as nightfall in winter comes without a star."**

 _ **Weiss, clad in black, wandered a dead forest with faded sunlight breaking through the withered canopies**_

" **Here you will dwell, bound to your grief, under the fading trees until all the world is changed, and the long years of your life are utterly spent…" muttered Nicholas.**

 **His trance-like stare ended, though Weiss could not tell for the vision she beheld brought her to tears.**

"She's all alone…"shuddered Weiss.

"That's tragic," said Velvet.

"So much for the fairy tale ending," snorted Emerald.

"…Yeah, so much for that," muttered Weiss.

"Weiss…" said Ruby, not quite knowing what to say.

" **Weiss… There is nothing for you here. Only death," said her grandfather.**

 **She faced him, on the verge of breaking down. His expression softened, and he approached and sat next to her. He wiped the tears from her eyes, and Weiss eased into the comfort it brought.**

" _ **Do I not also have your love?"**_ **asked Nicholas in Elven.**

" _ **You have my love, grandfather,"**_ **said Weiss as she embraced him.**

 **She felt him return the embrace…**

 **The scene changed, and Weiss was now clad in a blue cloak with a large hood to conceal her face. She was a part of a procession of elves with horses and lanterns that made their way to the coast. She turned back to see her grandfather in one of the upper balconies before she turned away and went into the west.**

"So she's leaving? For good?" gasped Ruby.

"But she loves him. I had heard that if you love a person, it's forever and with no regrets," said Penny.

"It… doesn't always work out, Penny," said Yang.

"It can start well, but sometimes it doesn't work out," said Blake.

"Sometimes," said Kali, "But their relationship seemed so strong. I don't believe she would just give up on it because of some vision. As you Ms. Schnee said, fortunes are hardly a reliable prediction."

"Maybe she'll come to her senses," said Ruby, hopeful.

"…Maybe," Weiss allowed.

 **Ruby had the blindfold taken off of her, and she looked saw Yang's bewildered eyes. They were in a large cavern with the sound of a powerful waterfall in the distance. However, the two hobbits were face to face with a company of Men in cloaks and leather armor. All of them looked intimidating, but it was the one with silver hair, and black eyes at the center of this company that held her attention. The same man they spoke to before being captured.**

"That jerk now?" groused Coco.

"Maybe I'm important," said Mercury smugly.

"Nah, it's probably just the ring that matters," said Sun.

That got a giggle from Emerald, and a growl out of Mercury.

" **My men tell me you are orc spies," said the man.**

" **Spies?" parroted an insulted Yang, "Now wait just a minute."**

" **Well, if you're not spies, then who are you?" pressed the man.**

 **Ruby looked to her sister, and back to the man.**

" **Speak," he repeated.**

" **We are hobbits of the Shire," began Ruby, "Ruby is my name, and this is my sister, Yang."**

" **Sister? I thought she was a bodyguard, waving that sword around," said the man.**

" **I am… Mostly to keep boys like you away from her," said Yang.**

 **The man chuckled.**

" **Your sister is not to my taste, so you can rest easy," said the man.**

 **The rest of the company chuckled at the jab.**

"That better be the case," growled Yang.

Tai Yang, Qrow, and Ruby nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, I prefer girls with actual boobs," sniped Mercury.

"WHAT?!" shrieked Ruby as she got to her feet.

She was about to leap to the bubble of bad guys when Weiss, and Penny got a hold of her through Ruby's shoulders.

"Let me at him! LET ME AT HIM!" growled Ruby.

"Ruby, do you want me to tell Archie to put you in a bubble?" warned Weiss.

"But… B-But…" Ruby stammered angrily, but shrunk on Weiss' upset face and Penny's concerned one, "Fine, but if makes me mad again, he'll regret it."

"Really? I'd like to see you try," snorted Mercury.

" **However, I must know, where is your skulking friend? That gangrel creature with the ill-favored look," asked the man.**

"Not me," said Mercury quickly.

"Talk about a change in tone," muttered Blake quietly to herself.

"She is his boss," chimed in Penny.

"Obviously," snorted Cinder.

"Yeah. Besides, he seems way too intelligent to be our Mercury," said Emerald.

"Seriously?" said Mercury.

 **Ruby looked at the man, alarmed.**

" **I… I do not know," she blurted, "We met her on the road, but I can't answer for her. If you do find her, spare her, and send her to me."**

 **She could feel the stares intensify.**

" **You would have me spare some orcish creature?" snorted the man.**

" **She may seem wretched, but she is under my care…" argued Ruby.**

 **Yang cringed a little, but said nothing.**

" **And what authority do Ruby, and Yang of the Shire possess that I should honor such a request?" asked the man.**

" **We set out from Rivendell with seven companions," she added quickly with broke the scrutiny for a moment.**

 **The man's stare turned from suspicion to curiosity.**

"I guess she's going to explain the quest," said Kali.

"Seems sensible to me. If they explain themselves, it should convince them to let them go," said Ghira.

"As much as I'd like to agree, I doubt it," said Winter, " _His_ counterpart, led a patrol in what I assume is a state of war. Miss Rose will have to be very convincing to get a commander to let them go."

" **One we lost in Moria…"**

"Not anymore," remarked Ozpin.

"They don't know, sir," said Glynda.

" **Two friends, a dwarf, an elf, and two of the race of Men when last I saw them. The Men were Jaune, son of Azure, and Pyrrha Nikos of Gondor," finished Ruby.**

 **Immediately the company broke into whispers, and the man with silver hair stood upon his feet with an expression of shock.**

"Maybe that will add some credibility to their arguments. My counterpart is from the same city after all," said Pyrrha.

"It might also raise suspicion. They may want some form of proof," said Ren.

"Did Pyrrha's counterpart give mine anything?" asked Ruby in a worried tone.

" **You say you knew Pyrrha?" he asked.**

 **Ruby frowned at the thought of her last memory of the champion, but nodded.**

" **That is news, if it's true," said the man suspiciously as he gripped his sword.**

" **It is!" insisted Ruby.**

" **She was the High Warden of the White Tower, and our Captain General. You say she was a companion, yet she is not present. How do you explain that?" asked the man testily.**

"Looks like the pressure is on," said Sun.

"This'll be fun," said Mercury.

Ruby's eye twitched a little.

" **We were ambushed, and were separated from the rest of our company at the Falls of Rauros," said Ruby.**

" **Is that so?" scoffed the man, "Then I must know… What business were Pyrrha, and the rest of your company involved with?"**

 **Ruby saw the man pull the blade out slightly, and tilt his wrist for a quick draw. She looked to Yang, who pulled her hand back ready to grab her own blade. Ruby didn't want a fight; she doubted they would last long, based on the deadly serious face of the man.**

" **We mean no harm. Is the starting point of our task, and the fact that we know Pyrrha not enough to convince you?" asked Ruby.**

" **Gondor has faced many enemies, some of whom were once our own people, and others are Men loyal to the Dark One in the hopes of gaining our riches. Armies and spies are the preferred tools of our enemies, and the latter disguise themselves as friends," said the man, who then smirked, "By your logic though, your suspicion of us is quite ironic. We bear the White Tree of Gondor on our armor. Do** _ **you**_ **not trust us?"**

"…He does have a point," said Ilia.

"Indeed, and further deflections will only add to his suspicions," warned Ironwood in a concerned tone.

"She's either got to say the right things, or do something bold to convince him," said Tai.

"Come on, you can do it," encouraged Ruby.

 **She had to admit the man had a point. It appeared she had little choice, considering their usual protectors were gone. She took a deep breath reached for the chain on her neck, and pulled.**

" **This is my purpose, as was given by Lord Nicholas of Rivendell! Behold, Isildur's Bane!" declared Ruby, as she remembered Pyrrha's words at the council.**

 **Gasps erupted throughout the room, and Ruby looked to see the man was dumbfounded. In fact Ruby noted the man's stare, and could see the fear and nervousness of his face. It was the same expression Jaune, Pyrrha, and Lady Glynda bore when the ring was exposed. Furthermore, she could hear a slight whisper emanate from the foul object, and she quickly put it back into her shirt.**

"…Well, that was bold," said Weiss.

"I do not think it was wise though, considering its effect on people," said Penny.

"Well, if nothing else it got more interesting," said Raven.

" **Is that proof of enough that we are on the same side?" asked Ruby.**

 **The man's trance broke, and he shook his head before he faced her again.**

" **That is… It cannot be…" said the man as he saw the ring upon the upheld chain, "Isildur's Bane? How did** _ **that**_ **come into your possession?"**

" **It was found by my family long ago, but I learned it is not mine. No one other than the Dark Dame can command this ring, except for, perhaps, the heirs of Gondor's throne, which Jaune of our company is. However, even he would not wield such a terrible object."**

" **Heir of Isildur…? A bold claim, for none in Gondor know this Jaune, save the high lords perhaps," frowned the man.**

"They don't know Jaune, or his claim?" asked Pyrrha, shocked by the statement, "My counterpart knew!"

"Your family is high born, Mr. Black's family is not," said Archie, "As for the succession, when the Numenoreans fled the sinking of the homeland, the leader, Elendil, and his sons settled in different lands. Isildur and his brother Anarion would be the founders of Gondor, while Elendil himself founded a kingdom to the north called Arnor. Jaune is a descendant of the kings of Arnor, and therefore has a claim to the throne. However, generations of geographical separation distanced the kingdoms politically."

"It appears his skepticism has some reasoning behind it," said Ozpin.

" **Pyrrha acknowledged the claim!" retorted Ruby, "In fact, if she were here, she would answer all the questions you are levelling at us. Before we were separated, she spoke of returning to Gondor. So why don't you go back to your city, and hear from her!"**

" **Go back?" the man repeated before he laughed, "Go back, you say? You dare tell me, Mercury of the House of Black to go mind my business, and leave you on yours? You say Pyrrha will tell all when she returns?** _ **When**_ **she returns?! Are you a friend of Pyrrha?"**

"… **Yes, for my part," answered Ruby coolly.**

"He seems upset," said Glynda.

"She just told him to shove it. I'd be pissed too," replied Mercury.

"I wish I could shove you," muttered Ruby.

"Yeah," whispered Velvet, who picked up the conversation with her acute hearing.

 **The man gave a grim smile.**

" **Then it would grieve you to learn she is dead?" he asked.**

 **Ruby blinked.**

" **Dead? How?"**

" **How? As her friend, I would think you would know, and tell me," said Mercury.**

"That was a bad slip up," said Raven.

"How did they know Pyrrha died?" asked Nora, confused.

"The river near the area where they were ambushed leads to Gondor," said Archie.

"And since she seems every bit a celebrity as myself, it must have spread like wildfire," said Pyrrha.

"And it upset morale, if Black's counterpart's reaction to Ruby's words was anything to go by," said Ironwood.

" **But… she was alive and strong when last we met," said Ruby.**

" **Strong, yes… Though I suppose treachery can even the field-"**

" **Hey! Don't you dare!" shouted Yang as she stomped in between the two, "If you're accusing my sister of stabbing Pyrrha in the back and then running away then you're an idiot!"**

 **Ruby, and everyone else, was taken aback by Yang's anger. However, Mercury recovered quickly.**

" **You're the idiot," said Mercury.**

" **Excuse me?!" shouted Yang.**

"She is blonde," Mercury laughed.

Yang had it though, and got to her feet.

"You're dead!" roared Yang.

"Revenge!" added Ruby, who joined in.

Snap…

A bubble appeared around the two sisters, and Mercury and the villains laughed a little harder.

"What the – Archie!" whined Ruby.

"I warned you, didn't I?" sighed Archie, who sent the two upward to float above the couch, "I'll let you down once you calm down."

"Rrrgh… Ok, fine," said Yang, a little bummed.

" **Did you know that I am under strict orders to kill any who trespass into the area we found you in," said Mercury with a pause at the end.**

 **Ruby and Yang went white.**

" **However, I don't kill man or beast needlessly. You are not the usual 'traveler' that roams that part of our country, so I became curious. Now though, I am suspicious. As such, your fates rest on what either you or your sister do. So for both your sakes, sit by her, and be silent!" said Mercury with a firm voice.**

 **Yang was not happy, Ruby could tell. However, her sister huffed, and sat next to her with an irate expression. She then faced Mercury, who looked back to her.**

" **Pyrrha holds a special place in the hearts of every soldier in Gondor. To some, she is a hero, and to others, a sister," continued Mercury, and Ruby noticed Mercury ball a fist, "I, and many others here and at home, owe our lives, our hopes, and successes to her. As such we will not tolerate those who would defile her good name, or use it for their personal benefit."**

 **Mercury looked sternly at Ruby.**

" **Pyrrha was a champion of our land, and as such was bestowed many favors and treasures. Name one, so that I may see if you truly met or knew her," said Mercury, a bit of impatience in his voice.**

"I don't remember my counterpart showing Ruby anything," said Pyrrha in a worried voice.

"Maybe it happened off screen?" suggested Nora in a hopeful, but worried tone.

"… **She bore a great war horn," said Ruby, who remembered Pyrrha's attire, "It was bound with silver, and ancient characters."**

" **Yes…" nodded Mercury, "It's typically given to the city's stewards, or his heirs. However, we have no king, and the steward has no sons. Pyrrha was a beacon of hope for many, thus it was bestowed upon her. There was even talk that she and her family would succeed Steward Lionheart."**

"Oh yeah, I forgot that moron was in this too," said Mercury.

"Mercury!" yelped Emerald.

"What?" asked Mercury, who then noticed Cinder's furious expression.

"You know Lionheart as well?" shuddered Ozpin.

"Wait, our headmaster's with you?!" cried out Sun.

"It does explain how they are registered as students from Haven," remarked Glynda as she remembered the rosters from Combat Class.

"Oh… Um, oops?" apologized Mercury.

Cinder merely got to her feet, kicked Mercury across the face, and he collided with the bubble before he went unconscious."

"It appears I have much to ponder…" said Ozpin, who then turned to the students, particularly the confused and worried Sun, "And perhaps, if things go on like this, much to tell."

"You know," replied Ruby from the bubble above, "We have noticed that you and some of the other grownups have been taking this universe a little too seriously."

"How very astute…" remarked Ozpin with a hollow smile.

"If you would be so kind as to wait until this particular volume is over, I would appreciate it. We are very much near the end," said Archie.

"Of course," said Ozpin, "It will give me time to organize my thoughts."

Archie nodded, and resumed the volume.

 **Ruby saw Mercury relax slightly, but he kept his hand near his blade.**

" **We saw a boat of unknown make on the Anduin River near Osgiliath many days ago," continued Mercury, "It washed upon the western shores… There, we saw our champion, dead. We could see wounds from arrows, and a shattered war horn. However, her sword laid upon her chest, and she still had her noble bearing, which gave us a small modicum of comfort."**

 **Ruby looked down sadly.**

" **However, there was belt upon her. It resembled golden leaves linked together, but I do not recall her ever wearing such a thing…" continued Mercury.**

" **That was a gift to her," said Ruby.**

 **Mercury turned to her.**

" **The belt was a gift from the Lady of Light, Glynda of Lothlorien," said Ruby, "Also, the boat, was the bow adorned with the head of a swan?"**

" **Yes," said Mercury, surprised.**

" **That too comes from the Lady. They were boats meant to speed us closer to our destination," explained Ruby.**

" **Lady Glynda, you say? Few know the name of the Lady of Light, and only friends of elves and men know her by her formal title," said Mercury.**

 **Ruby saw him let go of his sword.**

" **It would seem you speak the truth, when you say you know Pyrrha. Furthermore, if you met the Lady of Golden Wood, and still live, then you are indeed a friend. Or, at least, an ally," said Mercury.**

"Whew… Success," sighed Ruby in relief.

"As if there was any doubt," said Yang as she pulled Ruby into a hug.

"Yang, no!" yelped Ruby as she tried to squirm free.

"Who's the clever, quick thinker? You are Ruby-doob-doob!"

"NO! My image as team leader!" wailed Ruby.

Blake and Weiss both snorted at their leader's antics.

" **So you'll let us go?" asked Ruby, hopeful.**

 **Mercury shook his head.**

" **You bear Isildur's Bane," said Mercury, "Long has Gondor seen it as an heirloom of our people. A spoil of war meant to be kept. If I let you go with such a treasure, my life is forfeit."**

 **Ruby, and Yang's face fell.**

"That's unfortunate," said Winter.

"Unfortunate? What if they try to take it?!" demanded Tai Yang.

" **However, if I bring that foul ring back to our city, I fear our kingdom will perish…"**

"Or maybe not?" asked Blake.

"Huh… He does seem to have a brain," said Coco.

"Yep, unlike ours," said Emerald who looked at the still unconscious Mercury's hand twitch as drool snaked out of his mouth.

" **So what will happen to us?" asked Yang.**

" **Give me some time to think on it. I suggest you take the time to rest while you can. Regardless of where I choose to take you, we will move quickly, even if we have to drag you," said Mercury.**

 **Ruby gulped, and she could swear she heard Yang do the same.**

 **...**

 **A/N: I went with the book version of Faramir. One of the few qualities of Mercury that I like is his sense of realism, and Faramir in the books has a more down to earth understanding of the ring, and what it does than Boromir did. I reread the scene in the book over and over with Faramir, and the ring. I just hope I didn't misread it.**

 **The next update will be a while. I'll be working on it while on vacation, and since I want to finish Two Towers soon, I won't release it until I have all the reactions completed. That way I can publish the rest of the segment within a week, which give me time to work on the intermission chapter. Expectthe update to be at around the end of the month.**


	38. LOTR-TT: The Drums of War

**I was going to post this earlier in the week, but since everyone was doing Halloween Fanfics, I decided to wait a little longer. These are the last two chapters of LOTR TT. The following update will be an intermission chapter** _ **and**_ **another universe.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 38 – The Drums of War**

 **Jaune rode Brego at a brisk pace.**

" **Not far now… I need to warn them…!" urged Jaune.**

"Warn them…? Did Jaune see the enemy army?" asked Ren.

"That would make sense. There's not much to warn his friends about," said Qrow.

 **The horse ran up the hill, and Jaune beheld the fortress of Helm's Deep. It was a tall tower keep with a narrow ramp that led up to the gatehouse of the tower. It was built into a narrow gorge in the mountains, and had a long wall that ran to the other end of the opening. It was arranged so that the enemy could only attack from the front, and the wall curved into a crescent that would allow archers to rain arrows upon the enemy from three directions. For centuries it was the refuge of Rohan, and had beaten back some of the nation's most determined enemies.**

 **This would be no different.**

"That's not much of a _mighty_ fort," said Emerald.

"More like a tower with a wall," said Weiss, worried.

"If it were against a ragtag band of raiders, or a small army, it would work. Against what we witnessed earlier?" observed Ironwood.

"They will have to rely on their own prowess as warriors to make up the difference then," said Glynda.

 **Jaune patted his horse, and whispered words of thanks and encouragement before he spurred on his horse.**

 **When Jaune arrived, some of the guards noticed him as he rode up the ramp to the keep. Immediately the door opened, and people gathered to see who it was. Some recognized him, but most, primarily refugees, did not. He eventually found himself in the keep's courtyard where he dismounted.**

" _ **Where is he?! Where is he?! Get out of my way! I'm gonna kill him!"**_ **growled a grouchy voice.**

 **Jaune turned to see a grumpy looking dwarf. However, the anger evaporated quickly as a face of relief appeared in its place.**

" **You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew," Ironwood all but cried.**

 **Jaune smirked, but was taken aback by the sudden hug the dwarf gave him.**

" **Bless you, laddie!" said the dwarf.**

"Aww, dwarf-hug," cooed Nora.

"Ugh…" groaned Ironwood.

 **Jaune decided to make the situation less awkward.**

" **Ironwood, where's the king?" grumbled Jaune as he nudged the dwarf away.**

 **Ironwood got the hint, and gestured to the keep. Jaune clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, and walked toward the building. Before he could get there, he was stopped by a lithe figure with yellow eyes.**

" _ **You're late,"**_ **said Blake in Elven with a knowing smile.**

" **I fall off a cliff, and that's all you have to say?" asked Jaune, confused.**

 **Blake looked him up, and down.**

" **You look terrible," she responded.**

"That's accurate," chuckled Yang from her bubble.

"I'd say more than that," protested Blake.

"Now you do. When we met, you wouldn't say more than three words most days," said Weiss.

"Oh, like you were any different? You cordoned off a part of the dorm on our first night as a team," grumbled Blake.

"I accepted our bunk beds," responded Weiss.

"Bunk beds…?" questioned Winter to herself.

 **Jaune began to laugh.**

"Well, at least he has a sense of humor," said Kali.

Pyrrha, and the rest of Jaune's team chuckled in agreement. Jaune always seemed to roll with things with a smile or a joke, even when they went wrong.

 **Emerald was helping an elderly woman pass out food when she looked up.**

 **Her heart stopped…**

" **He's alive…" she gasped.**

 **A smile grew upon her face, and she was about to make her way over to Jaune.**

"Oh, come on. Mercury was right?" groaned Emerald.

"Wha-?" groaned Mercury.

Emerald slung her pillow at his head, and he went back unconscious.

 **However, her feet stopped, and her smile fell.**

 **The elven archer, Blake if she recalled, gave a fine crystal necklace to him.**

 **The same necklace from before…**

 **Emerald shook her head, and moved to give some fresh bread to a hungry child.**

" **He's alive. That's all that matters…" she told herself with a relieved smile.**

"Seriously, he's not that cute," grumbled Emerald.

"So a part of you thinks he's cute?" asked Ilia off-handedly.

"Be quiet," snapped Emerald with flushed cheeks.

Pyrrha crushed her candy bar out of the thief's sight. She calmed herself though, lest she be put in a bubble like Ruby, and Yang.

 **Jaune saw the double doors, and he opened them. As he entered the room, he saw King Hazel on a throne talking to one of his commanders. Jaune approached courteously, and gave a formal bow.**

" **I apologize for my tardiness, King Hazel. Will it please you to have my sword at your side once more?"**

 **King Hazel got up, and Jaune straightened his back, though he kept his head bowed. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder.**

" **Of course," said Hazel.**

 **Jaune then looked up.**

" **Good, my lord, because I have seen the enemy army," said Jaune.**

"Called it," said Nora, who ruffled Ren's hair.

"Nora…" warned Ren.

"Tee-hee, sorry Ren," said Nora.

"You did call it though," said Pyrrha.

"It's not that great of a call. It was just a logical deduction based on events," said Ren.

 **Hazel nodded, and moved to a table with a map.**

" **I imagine it was a large army," said Hazel.**

" **Yes, your majesty," said Jaune, "A great host."**

" **A great host, you say?"**

" **All Isengard is emptied," confirmed Jaune.**

" **That will not be an enemy that gets to the field quickly," said the king as he put his hand on the map.**

"True, the logistics of moving that many soldiers in unfamiliar territory would delay their march," said Winter.

"They might even conduct some raids on the way," added Raven.

"That's cruel," said Ghira.

"It'll buy them time," shrugged Raven.

"I'm starting to think you're not so nice," said Ghira.

Raven laughed.

" **How many?"**

" **Ten thousand strong, at least," said Jaune.**

 **Hazel looked up quickly, and turned to him.**

"… **Ten Thousand?" asked the king.**

" **It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of Men," said Jaune.**

 **Hazel was stunned by the news.**

" **They will be here by nightfall," said Jaune.**

 **Jaune saw the king ball his hand into a fist.**

" **Let them come!" he declared defiantly before he stormed off.**

"So, they're still going to fight?" asked Coco.

"Well, there are refugees there. The king can't just leave them," said Velvet.

"Or it could be that Hazel's stubborn; as always," said Cinder.

"He always was single-minded. Perhaps his greatest hindrance," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune immediately followed, along with one of the King's guards, Gamling. He passed by his friends, who were waiting outside, and the three followed the king into the crowd of refuges that filled the keep to the brim.**

" **I want every man, and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall," he told Gamling.**

"He's conscripting the children?" gasped Pyrrha.

"Their people are facing an existential threat. Every able fighter will be needed," said Ozpin.

"It's actually like this during a grimm raid," said Tai, "When there are more grimm than a huntsman can handle, it isn't uncommon for the villagers, or townsmen to rally with makeshift weapons. That includes children."

"I remember those missions," added Raven, "Summer marveled how brave, and strong the children in those instances were."

"She was?" asked Qrow, "How do you know?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," snorted Raven.

Ruby, and Yang though looked at Raven from their bubble. The two half-sisters started to wonder what sort of relationship Raven and Summer had with one another. To hear Uncle Qrow's stories, the two never got along, but now that Raven was with them, they began to think.

 **Jaune, and his friends saw the king's guard veer off into the fortress. Meanwhile, the three followed the king out of the gate. As the guards were nailing fresh timbers to the forts old walls, Jaune saw the king examine the weathered ramparts from the causeway.**

" **We will cover the causeway, and gate from above," said the king with an aggressive tone, "No army has ever breeched the Deeping Wall, of set foot inside the Hornburg."**

" **This is no mindless rabble of orcs," said Ironwood.**

 **Jaune looked, and from his peripheral vision, so did the king.**

" **These are uruk-hai. Their armor is thick, and their shields broad," said Ironwood in a warning manner.**

 **Jaune saw Hazel approach the dwarf with an irate expression.**

" **I have fought many wars, Master Dwarf. I know how to defend my own keep," growled Hazel.**

 **The King stormed by him, and Jaune followed. He did give Ironwood a reassuring clap on the shoulder though. Jaune nodded to the Ironwood, and the dwarf sighed with a nod as well before Jaune followed the king again.**

" **They will break upon this fortress like water on rock," continued Hazel, "Arthur's hordes will pillage and burn. We've seen this before."**

" **Crops can be resewn. Homes; rebuilt. In this fortress, we will outlast them," declared Hazel.**

"Didn't the king hear Jaune? That army isn't going to pillage, and burn," protested Pyrrha.

"You think that's something the king should broadcast to the world?" asked Ironwood.

"Well, no, but it's not the truth," said Pyrrha.

"That fortress has more refugees than soldiers, and if Roman was correct, their best warriors are with Ren's counterpart. The last thing they need is for the refugees to panic, and for the soldiers to lose morale. The king may be saying that to keep order," said Ironwood.

"Is this what our superiors mean when they occasionally say 'Need to know' when I ask certain questions?" asked Penny.

"Yes," answered Winter, "I myself have been told that from time to time. It's irritating, but understandable."

"We're told that too in the Fang. Though there were times I didn't like being told that. It was usually a last minute order that would throw our squad off guard," said Ilia.

"Adam told me the same thing," said Blake, "In retrospect, some of things I 'didn't need to know' were actions that further damaged our reputation."

 **Jaune could not remain silent.**

" **They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops and villages," protested Jaune, "They mean to destroy its people. Down to the last child!"**

 **Hazel wheeled around, and the taller man leaned down, grabbed him by the shirt, and got in Jaune's face.**

" **What would you have me do?" asked the king, "Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread."**

 **Jaune looked around, and he did see many people, soldier and refugee alike with a defeated look.**

"I see what you mean," sighed Pyrrha.

"Adam sometimes did that also. Telling us that things weren't as bad as they seemed to keep morale up," said Blake.

 **He turned back to the king, who continued.**

" **If this is to be our end, I will have them make such an end, so as to be worthy of remembrance," said King Hazel.**

 **The king let Jaune go, and walked away.**

" **Send out riders, my lord," said Jaune quickly.**

 **The king wheeled around.**

" **You must call for aid," said Jaune.**

" **And who will come on such short notice?" asked Hazel, "Elves? Dwarves? Ozpin has pursued Ren for several days now, and if there is to be any aid coming, it shall be them."**

"True… But will they arrive in time?" asked Qrow.

"As Glynda stated, it all comes down to their current warriors, and how well they do," said Ozpin.

"They may hold. They'll be desperate enough," said Ghira.

" **Gondor will answer-"**

" **GONDOR?!" roared Hazel, "Where was Gondor when the West Fold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us?! Where was-"**

Ozpin could almost hear the Hazel he knew say the exact same thing. And although, his name would replace Gondor's, the fury was equivalent as well.

 **Hazel stopped, and huffed, before he took a deep breath.**

" **No, my lord," sighed Hazel, "Until Ozpin, and my nephew join us, we are alone."**

 **Jaune looked at the ground as the king walked away. As he heard the king give orders in the distance, he could not help but notice the murder of crows circling in the distance.**

"Those crows… Looks like that jerk knows about their situation," said Sun.

"Seems like it," said Blake.

 **Sun and Neptune, on Treebeard's back, arrived in an area of the forest where there was a breech in the canopy. On the ground was a large pedestal-like, and they looked at it curiously.**

"Looks like it's our time to shine," said Sun.

"Perhaps so. That clearing looks like a meeting point," said Kali.

"We'll see how you perform, Monkey Boy," muttered Ghira to himself.

"Dad, be nice," scolded Blake.

Ghira grumbled, but Sun just rubbed his neck.

" **We ents have not troubled with the wars of wizards and men for a very long time," said Treebeard in a deliberate manner, "But now something is about to happen that has not happened for an age.** _ **Entmoot**_ **."**

" **What's that?" asked Neptune.**

" **Tis a gathering," said the ent.**

" **A gathering of what?" asked the hobbit.**

 **Kkkkk…**

 **Ggggg…**

 **Wwwww…**

 **The two hobbits looked around, and amidst the whining of the trees, more ents emerged. If they had thought Treebeard was strange, some of the new ents looked older, some looked more tree-like with crooked eyes and contorted smiles that formed along the shapes of their trunks.**

"That's freaky, said Emerald.

"They're trees," snorted Cinder.

"Some of them look older than Treebeard," said Ruby.

" **Beech… Oak… Chestnut. Ash, good, good, good," nodded Treebeard in approval, "Many have come."**

 **Sun and Neptune gulped at the strange looks many of the new arrivals gave them.**

" **Now we must decide if the ents will go to war," said Treebeard.**

 **Sun and Neptune looked at one another, and Neptune smiled with approval.**

"Oh yeah! Pep talk time!" cheered Sun.

"No, not a pep talk. War has serious ramifications. Diplomacy is what will be needed," said Ghira.

"You mean what the council does?" balked Sun, "But they need help _now_."

"Be that as it may, no sane society goes to war without some kind of cost-benefit analysis," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune toured the keep, and he saw the refugees being guided into a cave for shelter.**

" **We'll put archers here as well," said Jaune.**

" **Jaune, you need to rest," insisted Blake as she put a hand on his shoulder, "You'll be of little use in the defense if you're exhausted."**

"He looks exhausted," agreed Ruby.

"If only war allowed the luxury of rest," said Winter.

"I get what you're saying, kiddo, but they've got a lot to prepare if they're up against 10,000. He can rest for a bit when he's done prepping," said Qrow.

 **Jaune waved off Blake's hand, and continued on when he noticed someone approach.**

" **Lady Emerald," said Jaune with a nod, "What's the matter?"**

"Please don't say anything stupid. Or, ugh, sappy," said Emerald.

" **Lord Jaune, I am to be posted protecting the women and children," said Emerald.**

"Sweet gods, thank you," sighed Emerald in relief.

"You? Protecting children? I can't see that at all."

"When did you wake up?" Emerald groused.

Mercury sat up, and cracked his neck, and jaw.

"Just now," he replied.

He stole a glance at his boss, and quickly turned to Emerald.

"I guess I shouldn't talk too much," said Mercury, who noted Cinder's frown.

"Smart. Now you're starting to sound like your counterpart," snorted Emerald.

Mercury grumbled.

 **Jaune nodded in approval.**

" **Good, that is an honorable charge," said Jaune.**

" **Being sent to the back of the front lines?" gasped Emerald.**

 **Jaune blinked in surprise.**

" **To mind the children, to find food and bedding when the men return? What renown is there in that?" complained Emerald.**

"That's not the point. The refugees need a defender," said Glynda.

"I kind of understand though," said Penny, "I was designed to take the fight to the grimm. If I'm able to help, and I feel like I can make a difference, I'd want to be in the thick of it.

"Just because it's not part of the front lines, doesn't mean it's unimportant," said Ironwood.

"Indeed. Those children are the future of that land. They are the most important treasure of the people right now," said Ozpin.

" **My lady, a time may come for valor without renown," said Jaune in response, "Who then will your people look to for their defense?"**

" **Let me fight by your side," insisted Emerald.**

" **It is not in my power to make such a command," said Jaune simply.**

 **Jaune turned around, and rejoined the others.**

" **You do not command the others to stay!" Jaune heard Emerald cry out.**

 **He turned around, and faced her.**

" **They fight beside you because they would not be parted from you! Because they love you…" Emerald stopped right there.**

"She's really got it bad," snorted Mercury.

"Shut it," grumbled Emerald with a flushed face.

"Notice me, Cin – Oomph!"

Emerald punched Mercury across the face.

Cinder cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged it off as their usual banter.

 **Jaune tilted his head in confusion before he gave her a more pointed look.**

"… **I'm sorry," said Emerald with an embarrassed look.**

 **She gave a polite bow, and went off, presumably to fulfill her duties. When she was out of sight, Jaune nodded to his friends, and they went off to the armory. There, they got a good look at their soldiers.**

 **Many men were dressed properly: scale armor, chainmail, solid helms with nose guards adorned their persons. However, the three noticed that a majority looked more like a levied force. There were elderly men with uncomfortable faces, encumbered by the weight of the armor. To make matters worse, there were young boys in armor that made them look smaller, and were given weapons that they could barely hold properly.**

"How old are those kids?" asked Coco.

"The youngest looks around eleven, or twelve," remarked Glynda sadly.

"Were the villages in a grimm raid like that also, dad?" asked Ruby from the floating bubble.

"No," said Tai, "Anyone younger than thirteen was kept in the shelter."

"Conscripts aren't the most reliable soldiers, I fear," said Winter.

"They aren't," confirmed Raven to herself as she remembered some of the militias in her raids.

"I'd argue that those levies are protecting their own families. They'll fight a little harder than most I'd wager," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune looked to his friends, who had looks of uncertainty just like him. He approached the crowd, and picked up a sword. He pulled it from its sheathe, and he frowned. The blade was old, wasn't properly oiled or maintained, and there were a few chips along the edge. He put it back in its sheathe, and placed it back in the pile.**

"Even with their substandard equipment, sir?" asked Glynda.

"As Winter stated when those aliens attacked humanity, they're in a corner. They will find a way to make it work," said Ozpin.

Winter hummed as she remembered.

 **Then he took a second glance at the army.**

" **Farmers, farriers, stable boys… These are no soldiers," said Jaune to his friends quietly.**

" **Most have seen too many winters," added Ironwood as he gestured to a man with snowy white beard.**

" **Or too few," threw in Blake who noted a boy struggling with a bow string.**

 **Jaune nodded, but he sighed.**

" **Still, they have some advantages. We're in a fortified position, for one. Furthermore, some of the elderly appear to have fought in battles before. They can guide the younger soldiers, and their presence may ease their fears," said Jaune.**

"That's a fair point," said Ren.

"It's still not enough," said Blake.

" **You cannot be serious, Jaune," said Blake horrified.**

" **I am," said Jaune, "We have to work with what we have."**

" **Look at them! They're frightened! You can see it in their eyes," said Blake.**

 **Suddenly everyone looked to her: her friends, and the levies alike.**

"Looks like you and your counterpart are of the same mind, dear," said Kali.

"Did she need to draw attention to herself, though?" asked Blake.

"She's concerned. I would be," defended Pyrrha.

"Perhaps, but as James said earlier, morale must be maintained. It's no different from a grimm attack; a hunter must project strength," reminded Ozpin.

"Otherwise, they fall into despair, which attracts more grimm," said Glynda.

" _ **They are to be 300? Against 10,000?"**_ **asked Blake in elven.**

" _ **They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras…"**_ **insisted Jaune.**

" _ **Jaune, these people cannot win this fight. They're all going to die,"**_ **stated Blake plainly.**

 **Jaune stormed over to her in fury, and looked her in the eye, inches from her face.**

" **Then I will die as one of them!" shouted Jaune.**

 **The two stared one another down until Blake looked down in shame for what she said.**

The room was quiet. The adults nodded in approval of Jaune's resolve, even Cinder and Raven seemed impressed. Pyrrha, Yang, and Velvet were smitten by "brave" or "gallant" Jaune. The one girl who seemed most impress though was…

'Shit, why does my face feel hot?!' thought Emerald.

Her face was indeed warm… and her heart was racing…

'Is this because he's willing to die for my counterpart's people? Damnit! They aren't even _my_ people!' Emerald scolded herself.

 **Jaune just sighed, and stormed out of the armory to get some fresh air. He sat down at the steps before the main hall of the keep, and observed the soldiers and levies hurrying along with their preparations. This continued for some time, and when he felt he had at last calmed down, he noticed a young boy in his early teens with a lost expression holding a sword that was a little long for him.**

" **Give me your sword," ordered Jaune.**

 **The boy looked toward him, and after a moment's hesitation, complied.**

" **What is your name?" asked Jaune as he took the sword by the handle.**

" **Halas, Son of Hama, my lord," said the boy.**

 **Jaune nodded, and looked at the weapon.**

" **The men are saying we will not survive the night," said Halas.**

 **Jaune shot the boy an intrigued look.**

" **They say that it is hopeless," said Halas.**

"Guess Blake's not the only one making them feel down," said Ilia.

"Do you have to say it like that?" sighed Blake.

"I don't think that it's anyone's fault, really. The mood of the people must have finally boiled over," said Qrow.

 **Jaune looked at the boy a little longer before he got up. He examined the sword closely, and gave it a couple of experimental swings, and a thrust for good measure. He nodded in approval, and shifted his hands to hold the sword by the blade.**

" **This is a good sword, Halas, son of Hama," said Jaune as he presented it.**

 **The boy took the blade by the handle, and Jaune placed a reassuring hand on the lad's shoulder.**

" **There is always hope," said Jaune.**

"You go, Jaune! Boost morale!" cheered Ruby.

"That's our fearless leader!" cheered Nora.

"Yeesh, how were you going to last pretending to be their friend?" asked Mercury.

"I have no idea," said Emerald.

 **The boy beamed up a little, and Jaune sent him on his way. When the boy rejoined this companions, Jaune turned back toward the direction of the armory. When he got to the now empty room, he found a suit of chainmail that was just his size. He removed his sword and belt, and slid the armor on. Then he put on a heavy leather vest, got his belt, and refastened it to his keep the armor in place. He reached for his sword, but turned when it wasn't quite there. He turned to see it was being presented by Blake. Jaune noted that Blake was now wearing leather, articulated pauldrons, and wrist and ankle guards.**

" **We have trusted you this far, and you have not led us astray," said Blake as Jaune took his blade, "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair.**

 **Jaune sighed, and shook his head with a small smile.**

" _ **There is nothing to forgive, Blake,"**_ **said Jaune as he clasped her shoulder.**

 **Blake did the same with a smile of her own.**

"Looks like they're still friends," cheered Yang.

"That's a relief. The last thing we need in a battle is infighting," agreed Blake, equally relieved.

 **Thump… Thump… Thump…**

 **The two turned to see Ironwood struggle with a suit of chainmail.**

" **By… the time I get this… adjusted…"**

 **The suit finally slid on, and the bottom went past his feet while the sleeve engulfed his hands. The dwarf looked at the two, and Jaune smirked at the sight.**

" **It's a little tight across the chest," grumbled Ironwood.**

 **Jaune snorted, and Blake smirked.**

"My counterpart seems less impressive right now," said Ironwood.

"How can you say that? Dwarves are awesome!" countered Nora.

"Not when they're buried beneath foul animals, and hugging people," countered Ironwood.

"The fact that a dwarf does it makes it more epic!" declared Nora.

Ironwood seemed flabbergasted.

"It's ok, general. You're not the first person to be overwhelmed by Nora's…" Ren thought for a moment, "…Charm."

"Is that what we're calling it?" asked Ironwood.

"Just roll with it, James," sighed Glynda.

 **BWWWwwweeeee…**

 **Jaune, and the others looked up at the sound.**

" **That is no orc horn," said Blake.**

 **Blake was the first one out, and Jaune soon joined her.**

 **The two got out, and in they saw everyone gathering toward the gate.**

" _ **Open the gate!"**_ **the two heard in the distance.**

"The gate's opening, but there's no enemy?" asked Weiss.

"Does that mean that someone sent help?" asked Ruby, hopeful.

"But who would help them? I don't recall anyone sending a message," said Blake.

 **The two immediately moved past their fellow soldiers, and soon they saw the royal guard of Rohan, and King Hazel, who had a look of relief, and amazement. The duo maneuvered, and when they approached, Jaune and Blake looked in the direction the king was facing, and their jaws dropped.**

"… **We come to honor that allegiance," said Ilia, who smiled when she saw them.**

 **Jaune, saw that Ilia was clad in armor of autumn amber, with a red tunic robe underneath. She was now sporting a war bow, longer than the one she used in Lothlorien, and had a curved sword at her hip. With Ilia was a company of elves with silver-blue robes, and autumn colored armor with swords and war bows all standing at attention facing forward in a column.**

"The elves came?" gasped Blake.

"Yes," said Archie, "Jaune, and the others will learn that Lord Nicholas, and Lady Glynda are in routine communication via Glynda's telepathy. Glynda noticed the movements of Isengard, and Nicholas decided it would be wise to give the south some support while they marshal forces for a northern campaign against Salem's allies."

"Northern campaign?" asked Tai.

"Salem sent a massive army to attack Erebor, the northern kingdom of the dwarves, where Ironwood is from. The elves, who largely live in the north, believe they can play a stronger role there," said Archie.

"This war's bigger than we thought," commented Ironwood.

"Salem has influence in many places, it seems," whispered Ozpin.

"Well, it looks like old alliances are still honored," said Ren in approval.

"Their chances of survival went up," cheered Velvet.

Emerald felt a little relieved, but said nothing.

" **Greetings Ilia!" Jaune said as he approached, and he pulled the woman into an embrace.**

 **She stiffened in surprise in his arms, but he did feel her pat him on the back.**

Ilia choked a little on her drink.

" **You are most welcome," said Jaune as he pulled away.**

 **Jaune saw Blake approach, and the two elven warriors clasped one another's wrist. Jaune then saw the column face them, turn on their heels, and plant their bows upon the ground. Ilia then faced the king, and stood a little higher.**

" **We are proud to fight alongside Men once more," said Ilia proudly.**

Ilia felt her heart skip a little, and she gulped.

"I wonder if there will be a day when humans, or faunus say that about one another," said Ghira.

"One day, dad," said Blake.

"Yeah, I'm team leader, and I haven't had problems with my human team," said Sun proudly.

"I'm trying to learn from Blake," added Weiss.

"Well look at that. One day, Ghira," reassured Kali.

Ghira sighed in relief, and Ilia hummed quietly.

'One day…?' Ilia thought.

Could she say she looked forward to such a day? Ilia wasn't sure, but a part of her did want to find out.

 **The elves assembled along the wall, and the humans assembled along the keep. Jaune walked along the wall with their elven allies, and his attention turned to the approaching lights in the distance. A massive wave of yellow lights, torches no doubt, moved steadily toward them. The distant sound of an orcish warhorn, as well as their distant roars, answered who it was.**

"That's a lot of baddies," said Ruby.

"They're in a better position though, little sis. They'll be fine," said Yang.

"Yeah. With friends with them now, morale's sure to skyrocket," said Coco.

 **Jaune moved toward his friends, and he could see a fidgety movement.**

" **You could have picked a better spot!" complained Ironwood.**

 **Jaune snorted when he saw that Ironwood was next to Blake. However, his vision was blocked by one of the walls crenellations.**

"That could be a problem," said Ironwood.

"Is something the matter?" asked Weiss.

"The crenellations only go halfway up the body. They're supposed to cover the battlements' defenders completely to give them cover against enemy fire," pointed out Ironwood.

"Couldn't they just take cover by ducking?" asked Tai.

"Not with those long bows," said Penny, "That weapon requires a specific posture and draw to use effectively."

"That will be a problem," said Winter.

" **Well lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night," said Ironwood.**

 **kkkkKRakkkklll…**

 **A flash of lightning lit the sky, and Jaune took a breath.**

" **Your friends are with you, Jaune," said Blake.**

" **Let's hope they last the night," said Ironwood.**

"They'll make it through," said Pyrrha.

"Like your counterpart?" taunted Mercury.

Pyrrha shot him a scowl, but turned away.

"They _will_ make it," said Pyrrha.

 **Jaune smiled, and put a hand on both of their shoulders.**

" **We will make it. We will," said Jaune.**

 **They seemed to ease, and Jaune went toward the center of the wall. As he did a drop of water landed on his head.**

 **Plip… plip… plip-lip-lip… kkkkKRakkkklll…**

 **Rain had begun to fall, and the sounds of the enemy army's march mixed with slosh of mud and drumming rain. He looked at the approaching army and saw black armor, a forest of pikes, and sharp teeth glisten in the moonlight.**

"I'm not sure what would be worse in that situation. The rain, or the enemy army," remarked Ozpin.

"The rain, based off personal experience," said Winter.

"Second that," said Penny.

"Well, Penny I get, by why would the rain be bad? It's relaxing," said Ruby.

"In a warm place by the window, certainly. But exposed for hours while on patrol, or at a post? You would not believe how miserable even the best soldiers can be after a few hours in cold rain," said Winter.

"Add wind chill to that, and it's even worse," added Ilia.

Both Winter, and Ilia shuddered at the thought.

" _ **Show them no mercy, for you will receive none!"**_ **cried out Jaune in elven.**

" _ **Gggrrroooooaaaaa!"**_

 **Jaune turned and saw the army of uruks stop.**

 **The two sides were silent, and idle. Both engaged in a sort of stare down, gauging one another's reaction to the size of their forces. Elsewhere along the wall, Ironwood hopped as he tried to get a look out into the field.**

" **What's happening out there?!" he heard Ironwood say.**

" **Shall I describe it to you?" asked Blake, before she looked at the dwarf, "Or would you like me to find you a box?"**

 **Ironwood's face grew a smile.**

" **Eh-heh-heh!"**

"Well, they're starting to get along now," said Ironwood.

"How do you figure?" asked Blake.

"Would you crack a joke like that to someone you weren't close to?" asked Ironwood.

"…No. Not that I would," said Blake.

"Of course you wouldn't," chuckled Ironwood, "However, compared to the hostility they showed one another at the start of the journey, I'd say they've grown on one another."

"Yeah… I can see that," said Blake with a small smile.

" _ **Graah- Gggrrroooooaaaaa!"**_

 **The moment Jaune heard the roar, the forest of pikes rose into the air.**

 **Thump! Thump! Thump!**

 **Jaune drew his sword, and he could hear the friction of elven leather gauntlets grip against their bows.**

 **Thump! Thump! Thump!**

"It's the pre-game," said Qrow, who sat a little straighter.

"The pre-game?" asked Yang.

"They're mocking them, and trying to instill fear," explained Raven, "To those creatures, this battle is little more than a game. A warm up for what their master might have in mind down the road."

"Just wait till the battle starts. They'll regret treating it like a game," said Ruby.

"Yeah! Off with their heads!" said Nora.

 **Inside a series of caves, Emerald, with a sheathed sword in her hand, could hear the noises made by the enemy. They echoed and reverberated throughout the cavern, and some of the children began to cry.**

"That's got to be frightening from their perspective," remarked Kali.

"Their soldiers will hold," said Winter.

"It's not the soldiers I'm talking about. Well, I mean, it kind of is, but not quite," said Kali.

"Oh?" asked Winter.

"Well… It's those boys that were drafted. As a mother, the thought of my child having to face an enemy like that… Those mothers must be terrified for them," began Kali.

"Mom…" said Blake, touched.

"I see…" said Winter, who nodded in understanding.

 **Emerald was about to move, but a little girl grabbed onto her.**

" **That's a lot of scary noises, milady. Will we be alright?" asked the child.**

 **Emerald smiled a little, and patted the child on the head.**

" **Yes… The king, and Lord Jaune are fighting. Plus, I hear elves joined to help us. We will be fine," she encouraged.**

 **The child nodded, and Emerald gripped her sword.**

" **And even if, by some unlikely chance, they fall, I will keep us safe… Don't worry…" she said once more.**

 **The girl smiled a little, and nodded in reassurance.**

"Emerald, protector of kids! I can't get enough!" snickered Mercury.

Emerald blushed a little at the thought, but decided not to comment.

 **Back on the wall, Jaune, Blake, and Ironwood along with the elven company stood firm and steady.**

 **Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!**

" **AARH-SHOO! AARH-SHOO! AARH-SHOO! AARH-SHOO!" the uruks chanted.**

 _ **Whee!**_

 **Jaune turned to the fortress' keep at the sound of the sudden noise.**

" **GRRAAGH!"**

 **Immediately, silence filled the space between the two armies.**

" _ **Hold!"**_ **shouted Jaune in a commanding voice.**

 **He looked back to the army of uruks, and he could see one of them fall face first into the mud.**

"What happened?" asked Pyrrha.

"Someone from the keep must have panicked, and let loose a shot," said Glynda.

"Well, one down, nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine to go," said Mercury.

… **Thump!**

" **Grargh!"**

" **Eeeyargh!"**

" **GRRROOWW!"**

 **Jaune saw the first of the enemy army line charge, then the second, then the third…**

 **The battle had commenced.**

Everyone straightened up to get a better view. Some were excited; others were worried. They all didn't want to miss anything.

" _ **Prepare to fire!"**_ **commanded Jaune.**

 **At last the elves readied themselves for battle, and the elves repeated the command further down the line. They steadied their aim, and waited for them to get closer. Elsewhere Blake spoke to those near her.**

" _ **Their armor is weak at the neck, and beneath the arm,"**_ **she informed.**

" _ **Release arrows!"**_ **ordered Jaune.**

 **Immediately the air whipped as the bow strings released the volley.**

 **THUMP-THUMP**

 **The arrows penetrated the first three lines with arrows. The kills were interspersed, but there was a noticeable drop in the number of the enemy.**

 **Wheee…**

 **Jaune saw that uruks further toward the keep fell down. The Men of Rohan had joined, and Jaune raised his blade, and turned around. More elves, on the ground behind the wall drew their bows. The elves next to him readied for another volley, and Jaune cried out and waved his blade forward. Immediately the elves next to him delivered their rain of arrows just as the rear lines' volley shifted the air around him.**

"Cool!" cheered Ruby.

"Wow… I knew they were great archers, but that's…" swooned Velvet.

"Hmph… Fine, it's impressive, but dwarves are still awesome," grumbled Nora.

"There's more elves here. Elves are awesome by default," said Blake.

"Nooo!" wailed Nora.

"Please don't…" said Ren as Nora clung to his shirt.

"Did you have to do that?" asked Ironwood.

"No… Maybe. She's been going on about dwarves almost non-stop. It's time elves got some attention," said Blake.

"I can see that," chuckled Ironwood.

 **The elves on, and behind the wall both fired at will in disciplined, well-timed volleys. Jaune saw the enemy drop like flies, and he readied his sword, knowing they would get closer.**

"That truly is remarkable archery," remarked Cinder.

" _You're impressed…? Color me impressed,"_ said a voice in Cinder's head.

'Who the hell are you?!' Cinder thought in irritation.

" _Your conscience… Oooh!"_ teased the voice.

"Um… Are you okay, Cinder?" asked Emerald.

"…Fine," said Cinder.

" _ **Send them to me, come on!"**_ **he heard Ironwood cry out.**

 **Jaune noted that Ironwood would soon get his wish. Soon enough, he saw a few uruks slow down, and Jaune heard a noise to his left. He turned, and saw a crossbow bolt lodged into the neck of an archer. Many elves around him suffered similar fates, and fell back onto the wall, or met their end falling into the muddy ground before them.**

"That's what I feared would happen when I saw the crenellations," said Ironwood.

"They may have a slower rate of fire though," said Penny.

"It doesn't look like it," said Coco, "The fire rate is pretty rapid."

 **Then he saw something rise up from the army.**

" _ **Ladders!"**_ **declared Jaune.**

 **As the ladders rose, Jaune saw that there was an uruk hanging onto the top ends. He saw that the uruk wore no armor, save a helmet and a loincloth.**

"No armor?" asked Glynda.

" _ **Swords! Swords!"**_ **cried out Jaune.**

 **Of the three lines of elven soldiers that made up the forces on the battlements, the first two drew blades, while the third provided archer fire where they could. One of the uruks on the ladders landed near him, and he noted that the uruk, armed with a massive double-edged cleaver blade with spiked ends, was larger than the ones he faced in the battle that cost their company Pyrrha. It attacked the elves rabidly, and in a crazed a fury.**

"No armor, but it makes up for it sheer aggression," said Ozpin.

"It's a berserker, then," said Ren.

"There's stuff coming out of its helmet," pointed out Emerald.

"Looks like blood," said Mercury.

"It is," said Archie, "Those are Arthur's most bloodthirsty, and temperamental warriors."

"That's gnarly," said Coco.

 **It continued like this before it turned on him. Jaune ducked from the uruk's massive weapon, and he slashed the creature's belly. He had to duck again, as the uruk turned more violent. This time he cut off one of its arms and slashed its neck. Only then did it go down. When it did, Jaune ran to a ladder, and kicked an uruk off of it. Then, with the help of two elves, Jaune pushed the top part of the ladder, and it fell atop the invaders.**

 **Meanwhile, with Blake and Ironwood.**

 **Ironwood had slid beneath the legs of one of the same large uruks Jaune fought, and lodged the axe where its nuts would have been. The uruk whined, and fell dead.**

"Awesome! Size doesn't matter. Dwarves forever," cheered Nora.

 **Ironwood got up, and turned to Blake, who kicked an uruk off the wall.**

" **Blake, two already!" boasted Ironwood.**

" **I'm on seventeen!" declared Blake.**

Nora's face fell.

"Elves forever," said Blake.

Nora growled, and grabbed both Ren and Pyrrha's hands.

"Um…" began Pyrrha.

"Nora…" warned Ren.

"We've got to cheer together for the home team.

"Home team? They're on the same team," said Pyrrha.

Meanwhile, Ren shot Blake a glare, and she shrunk a little.

"You started it," said Ghira, and Ironwood.

"…Sorry," said Blake.

" **WHAT?! I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" cried Ironwood before he lodged an axe into the back of an uruk.**

 **Blake did two quick draws with her bow…**

" **Nineteen!"**

 **Ironwood roared in response as he hacked an uruk's arm off, and slammed the axe's haft into its nose.**

…

 **In Fangorn, Sun and Neptune paced back and forth. Just then, Treebeard turned, and walked over.**

" **Neptune," said Sun as he tapped his friend's shoulder.**

 **The two hobbits approached the ent, and the ent knelt down to get a better look.**

" **We have just agreed," said Treebeard.**

"Oh yeah, we convinced them!" said Sun.

"That went faster than I thought," said Qrow in approval

"…Too fast," said Ghira.

 **The two waited… and Treebeard dozed off.**

"Did he just fall asleep?" asked Penny.

"…Maybe?" responded Sun, worried.

"Well, he is quite old. It's understandable," shrugged Penny.

"… **Yes?" asked Neptune.**

 **Treebeard woke up, and shook his head.**

"Behold, the cavalry," said Cinder.

That got laughs out of Raven, Emerald, and Mercury, but groans out of everyone else, but Penny.

" **I have told your names to the Entmoot, and we have agreed… You are not orcs," said Treebeard.**

 **Sun and Neptune saw the other ents nod happily, as though they had made a stunning achievement.**

"You've got to be kidding," groaned Sun, "They spent the whole day talking about that?"

"Maybe the other ents wanted to confirm the information is from a friendly source," defended Penny.

"But… the whole day?" pressed Ruby.

"… **Well, that's good news," said Sun.**

"No it's not!" objected Sun, and Blake.

 **Neptune was less accommodating.**

" **What about Arthur? Have you come to a decision about him?" he growled.**

" **Now don't be hasty, Master Neptune," said Treebeard.**

"Hasty?!" parroted everyone but the villains.

" **Hasty?!" balked Neptune, who pointed in a random direction, "Our friends are out there! They need our help! They cannot fight this war on their own!"**

" **War? Yes, it affects us all. Leaf, root, and twig," allowed Treebeard, "But you must understand, young hobbit. It takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish, and we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say."**

 **With that, Treebeard got up, and rejoined the entmoot. Hopefully to talk about Arthur this time.**

"Wait, so they didn't talk about going to war yet, because their language is long-winded?" summarized Winter.

"Entish was developed in a time when, well, when time wasn't an issue," said Archie.

"What do you mean time wasn't an issue?" asked Ozpin.

"The sun, and moon weren't created yet, and timekeeping was a subjective discussion," said Archie.

"For real?" asked Sun.

"To give an idea of just how subjective, there's also a popular story about, one of Weiss's ancestors in this universe. The father of her fabled ancestor fell in love with a maiar spirit, his future wife. Their 'moment' of falling in love lasted three hundred years… probably," said Archie.

Almost everyone went pale at the thought.

"Yeesh. And I thought I lost track of time," grumbled Qrow.

 **Back in Helm's Deep, Ironwood stood on the crenellations of the wall between two ladders.**

" **Seventeen!" shouted Ironwood as he drove an axe on an uruk on one ladder before quickly to the opposite side, and repeated, "Eighteen!"**

 **He turned back again.**

" **Nineteen!"**

 **And again, and so forth.**

"Go dwarves!" cheered Nora as she raised both Ren, and Pyrrha's hand in the air.

"Go… dwarves," cheered Pyrrha meekly.

"…You can do it," grumbled Ren.

"We're catching up, Blake!" declared Nora.

"That's… good?" said Blake.

The rest of Ruby's team, and Kali, chuckled a little at the situation.

" **Twenty! Twenty one! Twenty two…!"**

 **Jaune saw Ironwood, and was about to scold him when he noticed that a large column of uruks in a tortoise formation with their shields march up the causeway.**

" _ **The causeway! Aim at the causeway!"**_ **he ordered to the elves along the wall.**

 **The elves along the wall that still provided archer support turned to the cause way, and fired on the exposed flanks of the enemy. The steadily marching column began to slowly crumble.**

…

 **King Hazel observed the battlefield, and huffed in amusement.**

" **Is this it? Is this all you can conjure, Arthur.**

"They're holding well," said Tai.

"Very well, though they can't rest yet," said Ozpin.

"Indeed. Arthur has a secret weapon after all," said Cinder coyly.

"He does?" asked Tai; then he remembered, "…Oh no."

 **However, on the ground, four uruks with large metal vessels went under the culvert, and placed their cargo within before they cleared out.**

"The bombs!" gasped Ruby.

"No one would notice a sapper in the middle of the melee. Even if they did, it would be too late," chuckled Cinder.

Emerald got upset at the thought. It would put her counterpart, and her… her counterpart's people in danger. However, she bit her tongue.

 **Jaune kept fighting when he noticed something bright among the enemy ranks below. He turned and saw a lone berserker carrying a bright, sparkling torch that had a clear path to the wall. He wasn't taking any chances.**

" _ **Bring him down, Blake!"**_ **shouted Jaune.**

 **He saw Blake take aim, and shoot. The arrow its mark, but the damned beast kept going.**

"Come on, one more good hit," urged Blake.

" _ **Kill him! Kill him!"**_ **urged Jaune.**

 **Blake set another arrow loose. It found its mark closer to the neck. Still it would not die, and it hurled itself into the culvert.**

Blake, and the others gasped.

 **BBBBOOOOMMM!**

 **Jaune found himself in the air, then he fell, and saw the ground.**

"Down goes the wall," said Mercury smugly.

"They're still elves in the back line. I doubt they got blown back like the ones in the blast zone," retorted Blake.

"Can such a small force truly hold back such a horde?" asked Cinder sweetly.

Everyone seemed to growl.

 **King Hazel looked horror at the situation. With the wall broken, not only would their elven allies be more exposed, but now the keep would face opposition from three sides since two entrances were connected to the wall and the grounds behind. Suddenly, there was a ruckus at the gate, and he saw something move from within the army that marched up the causeway. Whatever it was, it was big enough to push the uruks from the flanks of formation off the narrow causeway, and plummet to the ground. Then it went past the first row of the enemy, and Hazel saw it was a group with a massive battering ram.**

" **Brace the gates!" ordered Hazel.**

 **He could see some of his men throw their bodies against the gate, and lessen the impact.**

 **BOOM**

 **The men were thrown back by the force, but still they threw themselves against the gate. The men above the gate threw spears and javelins down, while the younger boys hauled up rocks, and tossed them onto the enemy. Still the uruks were relentless, and for everyone that was killed, another would take the place along the battering ram.**

" **Hold them! Stand firm!" declared Hazel.**

"The battle is not in their favor anymore. They should recall all forces to the keep," said Winter.

"Wouldn't it be better to fight them away from the keep?" asked Kali.

"No. the area along the wall is too open. It would easy for the enemy to flank them, and cut off all retreats," said Winter.

"Which will mean less protectors in the long run," said Tai.

 **Meanwhile, Jaune came to and pushed himself up. His eyes adjusted, and the roar he heard behind told him that the battle was still raging.**

" **JAUNE!"**

 **Jaune turned around, and saw Ironwood leap atop an enemy that pouring through the breach in the wall, and very near from his position.**

" **Ironwood!" called out Jaune with worry dwarf landed atop the enemy.**

"Go general!" cheered Nora.

"Take the fight to them, sir!" cheered Penny.

"Girls, please," said Ironwood as he tugged his collar.

"Now James, they're cheering you on. Accept it," said Glynda.

"Glynda…" groaned Ironwood.

"I believe your counterpart is very brave, just like you. You should take pride in that," said Glynda.

Ironwood blushed a little.

 **Jaune saw the dwarf take down two enemies before he was knocked off his feet. He turned to see a few of the elves behind the wall were back on their feet, and he raised his sword.**

" _ **Fire!"**_ **he ordered.**

 **A flurry of arrows whizzed past his hair, and into the enemy before they could kill the dwarf.**

" _ **Charge!"**_

 **Among the three rows of elves behind him, every other column drew their blades, and joined Jaune. They hit the enemy hard, and cut them down swiftly. Jaune then got the dwarf back on his feet. Ironwood shook off the earlier bow, and joined the fray.**

 **Just then, Blake approached with an uruk's shield. She slid it on the ground before a set of stairs that led to the fighting at the breach, and leapt upon it.**

Blake gasped.

"Isn't that…?" began Ruby.

 **She rode the shield down the stairs, and took fired shots with her bow. Before she hit the bottom, she leapt off with a kick. The inertia sent the shield's spiked end flying into an enemy, and penetrated its armor. She then slung the bowstring over her body, and drew the short blades on her back and charged. Soon the remaining elves behind them joined in to fight in the melee.**

"Isn't that how you accidentally injured Jaune?" asked Weiss.

"It was an accident! I didn't even see the shield!" said Blake.

"Jaune knows," said Ren.

"Yeah. He thinks that's why you're avoiding us," said Nora, "Well, avoiding us when you aren't near team RWBY."

Blake's ears folded a bit.

"Was I that obvious?" asked Blake.

"Very. Jaune's not that oblivious," said Pyrrha before she sighed, "I just wished he were unoblivious about other things also."

"Yeah," added Velvet.

"It won't be a problem for me," shrugged Yang.

The other two girls glared at Yang, Tai grumbled, and Raven chuckled.

 **Back in Fangorn, Treebeard approached Neptune, and Sun with a solemn expression.**

" **The ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done," said Treebeard.**

"They're not going to help?" gasped Velvet.

"Honestly, I saw that coming," said Coco.

"Of course they won't. They don't have any skin in the game," said Emerald.

"Yet," added Raven, "Funny thing about wars is you don't know when the fighting starts, or where."

"Since when are you an expert?" asked Ironwood.

"Turf wars," said Qrow.

"Other tribes always want our stuff," confirmed Raven.

"Your stuff? Sure…" said Tai.

" **How can that be your decision?" asked Neptune angrily.**

" **This is not our war," said Treebeard simply.**

" **But you're part of this world!" objected Neptune, "Aren't you?"**

 **The ents all looked uncertainly at one another.**

" **You must help, please!" begged Neptune, "You must do something."**

"… **You are young and brave, Master Neptune," began Treebeard, but he shook his head, "But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home."**

 **Neptune turned back, and trudged over to Sun, defeated.**

"… **Maybe Treebeard's right. We don't belong here, Neptune," began Sun sadly, "It's too big for us. What can we do in the end? We've got the Shire. Maybe we should go home."**

"… **The fires of Isengard will spread, and the woods of Tuckborough and Buckland will burn. And…" Neptune turned to face Sun with watered eyes, "And all that was green and good in this world will be gone. There won't be a Shire anymore."**

 **Sun saw Neptune walk way, and he was left to his own thoughts.**

"Come on other me, don't give up," urged Sun.

"Those ents are pretty stubborn. Can they be convinced?" asked Ghira.

"They've got to try! Their friends are fighting, and I screwed up enough times in this universe," said Sun.

"Sun…" said Blake sadly.

…

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **I went with the movie version of the battle. It was just too cool to pass up. I do however like the book version of the Battle of Helm's Deep though. It truly gives the image of the strength of the race of Men, and showed that they would be every bit as formidable as the elves in the wars against darkness. Perhaps even more dangerous, since Men were not bound to the same restrictions that the elves were.**


	39. LOTR-TT: The Turn of the Tide

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **, and** _ **Silmarillion**_ **are the works and intellectual property of JRR Tolkien.** _ **The Lord of the Rings Trilogy**_ **were produced by WingNut Films and the Saul Zaentz Company and distributed by New Line Cinema.**

 **Chapter 39 – The Turn of the Tide**

 **Back in Helm's Deep, the situation was not good.**

 **Many elves had been slain, and those that remained struggled to hold the enemy back.**

"The line is crumbling," said Ironwood.

"It appears you were right, sister," said Weiss.

"Unfortunately," sighed Winter.

" _ **Jaune!"**_ **called the king's voice,** _ **"Fall back to the keep! Get your men out of there!"**_

 **Jaune killed another uruk.**

" _ **To the keep!"**_ **he ordered before he cut down two more enemies,** _ **"Fall back to the keep! Ilia!"**_

 **He saw Ilia, still on the wall, cut down another enemy before she faced him in her bloodied armor.**

" _ **Fall back to the keep!"**_ **he ordered.**

 **Ilia nodded, and repeated the order to the other elves nearby.**

 **Jaune turned to run.**

" **EEAGH!" came a feminine shout.**

 **He turned, and saw an uruk had run a blade into Ilia's side before she cut the beast down.**

Ilia gasped.

"Oh no! Not another friend," cried out Penny.

"M-Maybe she's just wounded," said Ruby.

"Yeah, it looks like it just cut through the armor. It won't be fatal right away," said Ilia with a shaky voice.

" **Ilia!"**

 **Jaune ran into an approaching group, but he carved a way through to his friend. He saw Ilia on her knees, and he knelt to her side to help her up. However, the moment he touched her, her neck rolled back and her lifeless eyes stared at him.**

Blake, her family, Sun, Velvet, even Winter and Weiss shook a little in anger at the fate that befell her. Ilia though turned blue, then green.

"Take deep breaths," said Pyrrha.

"Fuck deep breaths," heaved Ilia.

Kali though came to Ilia's rescue, and patted her back.

"Damn… How did you not throw up when you saw yourself… you know?" said Ilia in a slightly relieved voice.

"I reminded myself that it's another universe, and that maybe there was something I could learn from it in order to become stronger. Although, I'm not really over it," said Pyrrha.

"Ok… I feel a little better knowing you're not over it. Sorry," said Ilia.

Pyrrha shrugged.

 **Jaune shook a moment, but he regained his composure, and shut her eyes gently before he laid her down.**

 **He saw that some uruks noticed him, and he got to his feet to run to the stairs that led to a keep and killed several uruks along the way.**

"I hope he kills a lot more as payback," said Blake.

"Blake…" said Ilia, touched that her friend felt that way about her counterpart's downfall.

"They better add that wizard to the list too," said Ghira with a nod from Kali.

 **Back in the keep, King Hazel saw the battering ram at last smashed through the gates.**

" **To the gate," cried Hazel as he drew his blade, "Draw your swords!"**

 **His personal guard drew their blades, and followed the king down to the lower levels. The king was at the broken gate, and he cut down an uruk that managed to get past the defenders. He cleaved another down its face. Then he kicked another back before driving his blade straight into its heart. Then a spear was lodged into the king's shoulders, and he simply looked at the uruk with a pained but mostly furious expression.**

"That's not good," said Tai.

"As if that would ever slow Hazel down," said Cinder

"I would be very disappointed if that took out a man like Hazel," said Ozpin.

"You do realize he wants you dead, right?" asked Cinder.

"True, but he was once my student. Part of me hopes I can reconcile with him," said Ozpin.

"Then you're a bigger fool than I thought," said Cinder.

 **Jaune heard about the gate as soon as he got into the keep. He told Blake to go into the ramparts of the keep with the other elves to provide arrow fire while he and Ironwood went to support the king. When the duo got there, they saw the king. Though a spear was lodged in the sovereign's should the king just got a spear of his own, and thrusted into the throat of the enemy that got him.**

"Ooh, damn that's got to hurt," said Mercury.

"Drowning in its own blood. I can dig it," said Emerald approvingly.

"You're rooting for them, aren't you," commented Mercury.

"No… I'm just responding to your commentary," said Emerald with a level face.

 **They the king's guard grab their liege, and pull him away from the fighting while the rest of the soldiers rushed the enemy. Jaune and Ironwood ran over to see if the king was alright. The wound was a minor one, but it would affect his ability to fight for the time being. Jaune saw the gate being pushed by the uruks again. This time the bars that held the door firm split, but the weight of the defenders kept the door stable for now. Jaune charged, and helped to push the enemy back to give them breathing room.**

" **Hold them!" called out Hazel.**

" **How long do you need?" asked Jaune.**

" **As long as you can give me!" the king shouted over the battle.**

 **Jaune nodded, and grabbed Ironwood.**

" **Ironwood, this way," he said.**

 **Jaune led the dwarf through a small door near the gate. It turned out to be a secret passage that led outside the keep. The path led to a ledge, and the two sidled along the wall to keep from getting caught. The causeway was not too far from their position. A good jump would be all that needed to flank the enemy.**

" **Oh, come one, we can take them," said Ironwood.**

 **Jaune looked grimly at the dwarf.**

" **It's a long way," he said.**

 **Ironwood looked out, and saw that the jump was a long one to make.**

"Jaune could make that jump, but I'm not sure about you General… No offense," said Ghira.

"None taken. He could barely make that jump in the mines," said Ironwood.

"… **Toss me," said Ironwood.**

" **What?" asked Jaune.**

"…What?" asked Ironwood, Nora, and Blake at the same time.

" **I cannot jump the distance, you have to toss me!" stammered out Ironwood with a flushed expression.**

 **Jaune nodded, though he was somewhat amused. He put a hand on the dwarf's shoulder, and the dwarf turned to face him.**

" **Eh-eh-um… Don't tell the elf," said Ironwood.**

"That's what he's concerned about?" asked Glynda.

"I suppose it's a matter of pride," said Ironwood.

" **Not a word," responded Jaune.**

 **He grabbed Ironwood, and threw him across the gap. Ironwood roared as he knocked the enemy down, and swung his axe to clear a path. Once there was space, Jaune joined in, and cleared the ones that Ironwood missed.**

" _ **Timbers!"**_ **he heard the king call out,** _ **"Shore up the door."**_

 **Jaune spared a quick glance to see that the king was shoring up the door, and he returned to fighting. Meanwhile on the ramparts, Blake's quiver was nearing empty when noticed something peculiar. There was a large ballista in the enemy army.**

 **Poom!**

 **A large arrow that seemed more like an anchor was fired from it with a thick rope trailing behind. It hooked onto the battlements, and a second ballista bolt fired and did the same thing. Blake saw that the rope was being pulled, and as it was a massive ladder with uruks hanging on was being pulled up. When it latched onto the wall, two hooks from the ends of the ladder latched onto the stone to secure it further, and the uruks attacked in earnest.**

"The defenders are running out of options," said Glynda.

"That wizard definitely prepared his forces for this fight," agreed Raven.

"Makes you wonder if they truly had a chance to begin with," said Tai.

"The battle isn't over yet," said Penny, "There are still warriors protecting the fort."

 **Blake saw two more ballistae prepare for the same thing, and she got one of her arrows out, and took careful aim. As the ladder went halfway up, she let the arrow loose, and it tore into one of the ropes. A loud whipping noise was heard as the rope slipped off of the ladder, and the massive siege ladder landed hard on the enemy army with an audible splat.**

"Okay, I will admit… elves are cool," said Nora.

"Really?" asked Blake and Ironwood.

"Just that one time! Dwarves are still supreme," added Nora.

"Of course," said Blake.

 **Back at the causeway, Jaune and Ironwood had pushed the enemy back a fair distance.**

" **Jaune, Ironwood!" called Hazel, and Jaune saw the king through the last gap of the broken gate, "Get out of there!"**

 **Jaune, and ironwood nodded, and ran to the causeway as a piece of timber covered the gap.**

" **Jaune!"**

 **The two looked up, and saw Blake from the ramparts toss a rope down. Jaune grabbed Ironwood with hand and the rope in the other, and the two rappelled away from the causeway. Jaune secured his hold on Ironwood, as they were pulled up, and it was not long before they made it to the top.**

" _ **Fall back! FALL BACK!"**_ **shouted a voice**

 **Jaune was shocked by the order.**

 **CRASH came a noise from below.**

" **They have broken through! The castle is breached," declared the king, "Retreat! Retreat!"**

"After all that, they have to retreat?" gasped Kali.

"That gate was the last solid barrier holding back the enemy," said Ozpin.

"Just like with the wall, now that there's a breach, there will be nothing but the warriors themselves to block the entrances. They'll try to consolidate their forces like they should have done when the wall was breached," said Ironwood.

 **Jaune saw a group of young boys, including the boy Halas from earlier, shaking at the order.**

" **Hurry, inside! Get them inside!" ordered Jaune.**

 **Many of the older soldiers nodded, and urged the boys toward the main hall.**

" **Fall back to the keep!" Hazel's orders cut through the noise of war.**

 **Before the main hall, Jaune saw the king fighting hard as his men ushered the younger levies, mostly boys, into the great hall. When their eyes met, Hazel's spirit rose.**

" **Jaune, help me buy time for the lads to get in first!" ordered Hazel.**

 **Jaune nodded, and he, Ironwood, and Blake charged the overwhelming numbers of the enemy.**

"And they're still needed to protect the women and children. I understand now," said Kali.

Emerald tensed a little.

"…Looks like she'll get her chance to fight after all," muttered Emerald.

"Indeed… Are you alright Emerald? You seem upset," said Cinder.

"I'm fine ma'am… I just lost myself for a moment," said Emerald.

"See to it that it doesn't happen too often," said Cinder.

Emerald gulped a little, but nodded.

 **Back in Fangorn, Sun and Neptune rode atop Treebeard with dejected looks.**

" **I will leave you at the western borders of the forest. You can make your way to your homeland from there," said Treebeard.**

 **Neptune sighed, and Sun looked at him…**

" **Wait! Wait, wait, stop!" Sun suddenly cried out.**

Sun perked up.

"What happened? He forget his wallet, or something," said Mercury.

"He probably saw something," said Emerald.

 **Treebeard came to a halt, and Neptune looked up at him in confusion.**

" **Turn around… Turn around, take us south," said Sun.**

" **South?" questioned Treebeard, "But that would… lead you to Isengard."**

" **Yes… exactly," said Sun with a smile.**

"Why would Mr. Sun want to go near enemy territory?" asked Penny.

"A last hurrah? Some kind of 'noble end' for a failed attempt at gaining reinforcements?" suggested Cinder.

That got everyone besides Raven to glare at the group of bad guys.

"Wait a minute…" began Sun as the gears turned in his head.

"What is it, Sun?" asked Blake.

" **If we go south, we can slip past Arthur unnoticed," declared Sun confidently, "The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It's the last thing they'll expect."**

 **Neptune looked at Sun like he grew another head.**

"In a roundabout way, he's not wrong. Heading into the jaws of the enemy can throw them off balance," said Ozpin.

"Somehow, I don't think that's the plan he's got in his head," said Ruby.

"… **Hmm, that does not make much sense to me," said Treebeard in a confused tone, "…Then again, you are very small, perhaps you're right. Very well. South it is! He-hum, you know I always liked going south. It almost feels like going downhill.**

" **What are you doing?!" hissed Neptune quietly, "We'll be caught!"**

" **No we won't. Not this time," said Sun.**

"I think I know what he's doing," said Sun.

"Well? Spill it!" said Ilia.

"Showing them that they can't just hide in the woods. That they're part of this world, like Neptune said," said Sun.

Everyone looked at him.

"You'll see what I mean… I hope," said Sun.

 **A band of rangers were camped in the near a waterfall, and among their company was Mercury, along with the sisters Yang and Ruby. Mercury led the two girls away from the rest of the men, and into a more secluded area.**

" **Are we in trouble again?" asked Yang.**

" **No… I'm here because there is a matter I wish to discuss privately," said Mercury.**

" **Which is?" asked Ruby.**

" **Pyrrha," said Mercury.**

 **The two hobbits flinched somewhat.**

" **There was tone in your voice when you spoke of her, and just now the thought of her…" began Mercury, "You were not friendly with her, or you did not part in friendship. You, and I suspect Yang as well, have some grievance levelled at our champion. Now I, and many others loved Pyrrha, and we would see her honor avenged. However, I knew Pyrrha well. I feel that Isildur's Bane would have caused contention between her and others. Between the two of you."**

"Well, looks like we're friends here," said Mercury sweetly to Pyrrha.

"Ugh…" gagged Pyrrha.

"Trust me, it is a lot worse being with him for more than an hour," said Emerald.

"How can you say that Emerald. I thought we were close," said Mercury.

"You are a coworker at best," snorted Emerald.

" **I… I understood her reasons, but even for a just cause I would not even lend this ring," said Ruby.**

" **I see," said Mercury, "So she wanted to bring that thing to our homeland. I can see it too, for if it gave strength and advantage to the wearer, I can believe Pyrrha would take it to help secure Gondor's safety. However, as for myself, you needn't fear. I would not take this thing even if my city burned, and I alone had the power to save her. I have no desire gaining a victory by using a fell weapon crafted by my enemy."**

"True. I'm the kind of guy who prefers to do things personally with my own power. There's nothing quite like seeing someone you hate dying at your own hands," said Mercury.

"I somehow doubt that's what he meant," said Pyrrha.

"Well, that's your opinion," shrugged Mercury.

For Mercury, words couldn't describe the euphoria he felt when his father was no longer a danger to him.

" **The council felt the same," said Ruby relieved, "Personally, I'd rather not be involved in this whole situation."**

" **I can believe that," chuckled Mercury, "You know, if you require aid, you have only to ask."**

"For real?" asked Yang.

"Yeah. What she said," said Mercury surprised by the offer of his counterpart.

"It's probably a trap," muttered Nora.

 **The two hobbits were stunned.**

" **You'll help us?" asked Ruby.**

" **You have nothing more to fear from me. I have no desire to take that thing from you," said Mercury, "And if you do not believe that, then believe this. If Pyrrha went on this quest, her presence would have been a declaration of aid from Gondor. I can think of no better way to spite that accursed ring than to render the aid Pyrrha promised."**

"Funny, I'm not much of spiteful guy. More of a do it, and move on kind of guy," said Mercury.

"Like you've never taunted anyone," said Emerald.

"Meh..." said Mercury as he did a so-so motion with his hand.

 **Ruby stared at Merury, and she nodded politely.**

" **If we think of something, we will ask," said Ruby.**

 **Mercury nodded in response, and went on his way back to the others.**

" **Do you think we can trust him?" asked Yang.**

" **Oddly enough… Yes, I think we can," said Ruby.**

"Don't do it!" declared Ruby.

"Yeah. Bling lady already ditched them!" added Yang.

"Well, to be fair, this is a different version from the one we've become familiar with," said Ren.

"He's not as annoying," added Raven, "He's also boring enough that I can see him not going back on his word."

"I'm not boring," grumbled Mercury.

 **Sun and Neptune stared with wide eyes as they began to exit through the southern edge of the forest.**

" **That little family of field mice would tickle me often," chuckled Treebeard, who was lost in another story, "Always going where they shouldn't… Huh?"**

 **The two hobbits heard Treebeard gasp, and they couldn't blame him. Hobbits have had to use trees for their construction projects, but in all the history of the Shire, they had never needed to do something like what they saw. Everywhere they saw torn earth, hacked stumps and evidence of fires. The earth was grey, and lifeless all the way to a tall tower with a stone wall in the distance.**

"That's got to be a shock," said Ghira.

"I figured that's what my counterpart was planning," said Sun, "An army that big needs a lot of materials for equipment. That means wood for furnaces, spears, buildings to produce materials."

"And your counterpart believed that if Mr. Treebeard saw the devastation the wizard inflicted on his woods, he'd join? How did your counterpart know that the evil wizard would be attacking Fangorn?" asked Penny.

"I'm not sure he did. He looks way too stunned. There might have been woodlands nearby, and then he could go on about how they're next," said Sun.

"Regardless of your counterpart's plan, I believe the ent got the message," said Ilia.

"… **Many of these trees were my friends," said Treebeard in shock, "Creatures I had known from nut, and acorn."**

" **I'm sorry, Treebeard," said Sun sincerely.**

" **They had voices of their own," said Treebeard, who then gasped when he got a better look at Isengard.**

"He looks like he's about to blow," said Mercury.

"I would too. Though I'm not sure if it's because I was programmed to protect civilians, or if it is the feelings I've obtained as a result of my organic transformation," said Penny, as she tried to grasp the depth of her anger.

"I don't think it really matters. You were programmed to protect, and heroes protect others because it's right. I believe it's also the same," said Ruby.

"You forget she was designed by Atlas," said Raven, "Her programming likely dictates she protects Atlas' interests."

"Since meeting Ruby, Ms. Branwen, I have expanded programming to comply with most hunter doctrines to include civilians with my operational range. I do believe Ruby is accurate in her observation," said Penny happily.

"Well, excuse me," muttered Raven.

"… **Arthur.** _ **A wizard should know better!"**_

 **The two hobbits heard the ent inhaled a large amount of air, and they quickly covered their ears.**

" _ **GRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUuuuuu…!"**_ **roared Treebeard with a primal fury.**

 **Despite their efforts, the roar of the ent sent shivers down their spines, and they could still hear the echo as the two hobbits uncovered their ears.**

" _ **There is no curse in elvish, entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery,"**_ **growled Treebeard.**

 **Wwwwooo-Kreeeeeeuuuu…**

 **The two hobbits turned around, and their jaws dropped.**

" **Look, the trees, they're moving!" gasped Sun.**

 **In the distance the whole forest seemed to move as trees uprooted themselves and moved to some unknown location.**

"Is that entire forest moving on its own?" gasped Kali.

"Yes, and very quickly," said Ozpin.

"Well Neptune did say they were tree herders," said Ruby.

" **Where are they going?" asked Neptune.**

" _ **They have business with the orcs,"**_ **growled Treebeard,** _ **"My business is with Isengard tonight. With a rock, and stone."**_

"He sounds as pissed off as he did when they first met," said Coco.

"He just saw his friends butchered… chopped up. Yatsu would be the same if he saw any of us even remotely close to that state," said Velvet.

"True," acknowledged Coco.

 **SNAP**

 **KRRREE**

 **WOOOO**

 **The two hobbits turned around, and saw ents emerge from the forest with the same furious expression Treebeard certainly had. Some were massive, with gnarled hands and arms that went to the ground. Others were stocky, and waddled to get around while some were slender and willowy. However, they all made the ground shake, and it got their hearts pounding.**

"Behold, the cavalry!" cheered Penny.

Cinder scowled as her snarky comment came to fruition.

"Charge!" declared Nora.

" **Yes," said Neptune.**

" _ **Huum-Baroom, come my friends,"**_ **said Treebeard,** _ **"The ents are going to war. It is likely that we go to our doom. Last march of the ents."**_

 **Sun and Neptune hanged on, as Treebeard picked up the pace.**

" _ **BAH-Hoom! Here we come with a boom! Here we come at last! Come join the moot! We are off, we are off to Isengard!"**_ **roared Treebeard.**

" _ **TO ISENGARD! GRRROOOOH!"**_ **shouted all the ents that marched.**

 **Just then a roar emanated around them, and from the forest behind. Many, many more voices if their ears served. The looked around, and saw ents march out of the forest from one end of the forest to the next, and they did not stop coming. A continuous thunder rolled from all around**

" _ **WE COME, WE COME WITH ROLL OF DRUM," sung Treebeard.**_

" _ **TA-RUNDA RUNDA RUNDA ROM!" sung the ents all around.**_

"A song?" asked Winter.

"A marching song," said Ironwood.

 _ **WE COME, WE COME WITH HORN AND DRUM**_

 _ **TA-RUNA RUNA RUNA ROM!**_

 _ **WE COME, WE COME WITH ROLL OF DRUM**_

 _ **TA-RUNDA RUNDA RUNDA ROM**_

 **The ents picked up speed, as the moved down the hill, and they picked up strewn branches, and massive boulders. One hulking ent even tore a stump out of the ground, and the tendrils of it branch hand coiled around the roots loosely. Sun noted how similar it looked so the morning star an orc from Moria had.**

"Talk about going back to basics," said Qrow.

"Primitive, but effective," Raven nodded in approval.

 _ **TO ISENGARD!**_

 _ **THOUGH ISENGARD BE RINGED,**_

 _ **AND BARRED WITH DOORS OF STONE**_

 _ **THOUGH ISENGARD BE STRONG AND HARD**_

 _ **AS COLD AS STONE AND BARE AS BONE.**_

 **The two hobbit heard bells in the distance, and the walls went alight.**

" **Looks like they've seen us," said Neptune.**

 **A volley of arrows darkened the sky ahead of them for a moment, and Treebeard raised his hands. His hands rustled, and the two hobbits heard arrows hit the wooden hand. Not one missile had hit them, but when treebeard saw his hand, he seemed to get angrier.**

"Friend of his?" asked Emerald.

"Probably, if his face is anything to go by," said Weiss.

 _ **WE GO, WE GO, WE GO TO WAR**_

 _ **TO HEW THE STONE**_

 _ **TO BREAK THE DOOR!**_

 _ **FOR BOE AND BOUGH ARE BURNING NOW,**_

 _ **THE FURNACE ROARS! WE GO TO WAR!**_

 **Another volley came at them. This time, they were fire arrows. Treebeard, and the other ents picked up the pace, and a rolling charge began.**

 _ **TO LAND OF GLOOM,**_

 _ **WITH TRAMP OF DOOM,**_

 _ **WITH ROLL OF DRUM,**_

 _ **WE COME, WE COME!**_

 **Treebeard covered Sun and Neptune as he, and the other ents took the arrows. They were soon at the gates of the tower's walls, and they raised their massive weapons high.**

 _ **TO ISENGARD, WITH DOOM WE COME!**_

"Well, they're screwed!" Sun all but cackled.

"True…" said Ozpin, who then became concerned by what he saw on the screen, "Now the question is: what about them?"

 **Back at Helm's Deep, Jaune and what little remained of their forces piled everything in the great hall in front of the door to create a makeshift brace.**

 **BOOM-BOOM-BOOM… went the battering ram.**

 **Jaune helped a soldier place a timber brace against the door. However, the battering ram kept loosening their work. Jaune turned around, and he saw Hazel approach him as he moved his shoulder.**

" **How are you, your majesty?" asked Jaune.**

" **Damn creature got my shoulder… I'm surprised it took them this long to get to knocking down the door," commented Hazel.**

" **They were celebrating their… 'certain victory' if my ears were correct," said Jaune.**

"Wait, the enemy was partying?" asked Yang, "Not that I'm complaining, but why didn't they attack sooner?"

"The celebration served two purposes. First, to pat themselves on the back. Second, it's a way of mocking and degrading the enemy. Imagine how demoralized their forces would be upon hearing their enemy's celebration," said Ironwood.

"Do you think some of them cracked?" Mercury asked Emerald.

"No," said Cinder before Emerald could say anything, "They're still getting ready to fight."

" **We cannot think on that now though. We need to find a way to hold them off just a little longer," Jaune continued**

" **I hate just waiting for the end," growled Hazel, "If only I could hold my spear, and lead my men into the field then I could find joy in battle again. Alas, I serve little purpose here."**

" **We must protect the women, and children though. If they can use fire to sunder the walls, I fear what they will do to them," said Jaune before he turned to one of the king's guards, "Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?"**

 **BOOM-BOOM-BOOM… went the battering ram.**

 **He and the king were silent.**

" **Is there no other way?" asked Jaune.**

"… **There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far, the uruk-hai are too many," said Gamling.**

 **BOOM-BOOM-BOOM… went the battering ram, even louder.**

" **Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass, and barricade the entrance," ordered Jaune.**

" **It is said that the Hornburg has never fallen to any attacker…" said Hazel suddenly, before he shook his head, "But now my heart is doubtful. The world has changed, and all that was once strong is now proven uncertain. How could any fortress withstand such numbers, and reckless hate? Had I known that the strength of Isengard was so great…"**

 **Hazel sighed.**

 **I doubt all the magics, and counsels of Ozpin can save us now.**

"How true…" Ozpin hummed thoughtfully.

"Sir?" asked Glynda.

"I was once a legend… A mighty warrior, known and respected by all," said Ozpin quietly to those near him, "How long have I fought against her? Too long, I fear."

"Ozpin, you need to have faith in yourself," said Glynda.

"…I wonder if you will have any left in me. We will see shortly, I suppose," sighed Ozpin.

Glynda wondered what Ozpin meant, or if she even wanted to know.

 **Jaune turned to him.**

" **Do not doubt the arts, and words of Ozpin, your majesty. Not until it is all over," said Jaune.**

"…Such faith," whispered Ozpin with a sad smile.

 **BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!**

"… **Ride out with me," said Jaune.**

Ozpin looked up, as everyone in the room gasped.

 **Hazel turned to him.**

" **Ride out, and meet them," said Jaune.**

" **For death, and glory?" snorted Hazel.**

 **Jaune shook his head.**

" **For Rohan. For your people," said Jaune.**

 **Something with words touched the king. There appeared, in Jaune's eyes, more of a spark in them.**

" **The sun is rising," said Ironwood.**

 **Jaune looked out the window, and the first rays of the sun were filling the hall. Suddenly, he remembered Ozpin's words.**

" _ **Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."**_

 **Jaune looked to Hazel, who nodded.**

" **Yes… Yes! The end may be near, but the people of Rohan will not fall like some old badgers in a trap. The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep. One last time!" declared Hazel.**

" **Yes!" cheered Ironwood.**

"They're just going to attack the enemy?" asked Winter.

"An end bringing as many of the enemy down with them? I can respect that," said Raven.

"Hell yeah, Jaune! You show them," cheered Nora.

"But what about the refugees?" asked Ilia.

Emerald tensed a little.

" **Guide him to the horn," said Hazel to one soldier, "Muster the steeds in the halls' stables, those without a horse will defend the refugees," he said to another, before he turned to Jaune, "Let this be the hour, when we draw swords together."**

'Of course he wouldn't forget them,' thought Emerald as she relaxed a little.

 **Ironwood found the staircase to the horn, and was soon greeted with a mouthpiece jutting out of the fort itself.**

 **BOOM**

 **Jaune, and several others were atop the horses stored in the hall's stables.**

"So, there was a stable in the hall?" asked Kali confused.

"Wouldn't it reek?" asked Winter, who wrinkled her nose.

"Quite. I love horses, but not _that_ much," said Weiss.

" **Fell deeds awake," said Hazel.**

 **BOOM**

" **Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red dawn!" said Hazel before he donned his helmet.**

 **BOOM**

 **The uruks burst through with enough force to unhinge both doors of the main hall, and flooded into the room.**

 _ **BBBBOOOOOOOooo**_ **went the horn of Helm Hammerhand.**

" **Forth Erolingas!" cried out Hazel as he drew his sword, and spurred his horse.**

 **Jaune drew his sword, and spurred his horse as well, as the small band of riders rode charged forth. The steed trampled many of the uruks, and Jaune, Blake, and the other riders slashed their blades left and right to slay their enemies. Soon the riders stormed out of the building, with one waving a banner of their people high in the air.**

 _ **BBBBOOOOOOOooo**_ **went the horn of Helm Hammerhand again.**

"That is one loud horn!" cheered Nora.

"It's affecting even me," said Ren.

"You can say that again. My blood's getting pumped," said Coco.

 **The riders moved with more vigor, trampling, shoving, and slashing at all in their path. While the uruks outnumbered them, and were heavily armored, there were so many of them in packed into the fortress, that they could not even really raise a weapon to strike back. Soon the riders found themselves on the causeway. The sheer weight and momentum that they had pushed many uruks off the causeway to a messy end below.**

"I'm surprised none of them died in that charge," said Velvet.

"It's shock, and awe, I believe," said Penny, "No one would have suspected a cavalry charge in the fortress."

"Not to mention those assholes couldn't really swing a sword without hitting one of their own," said Ilia with a satisfied smile on her face, "Oh, I am going to enjoy this."

 **The riders charged into the main horde, and continued to fight. However, at this point they had lost the momentum of their charge, and the real fight had now begun as the uruks began to fight back.**

 _ **NEEEIIIIGGGHHH**_

 **The sound of a horse pierced the noise of the battle, and both the riders and uruks faced east. There, on a high steep hill, was a rider in white robes upon a white horse.**

" **Ozpin," said Jaune relieved.**

Ozpin also seemed relieved, and a little envious. He wished just one of these days, he could arrive to save the day once more.

 **Ozpin looked down at the field beneath them from the heights of their steep hill.**

" **King Hazel stands alone," remarked the wizard.**

 **Just then a rider with black hair, and magenta eyes joined him.**

" **Not alone," said the man, "Rohirrim!"**

 **An army rode to forward to meet their commander.**

"Ren-in-armor is here!" cheered Nora.

"Ren-in-armor?" asked Ren.

"You do cut a dashing figure," said Pyrrha.

"And he's on a horse!" added Nora.

"I suppose I look good," said Ren.

 **Back on the ground, Hazel smiled.**

" **Ren," he said.**

" _ **To the king!"**_ **Ren's cry echoed from above.**

 **Suddenly, Jaune and the others saw a wave of horse riders descend from the top of the hill. The uruks diverted attention from them, and toward the new threat. Still, Jaune and the others fought. Their only worry was that the uruks had lowered their long pikes to meet the charging horsemen.**

"That will break their charge…" gasped Weiss.

"Unless…" began Ozpin, who noticed that the sunlight was creeping behind the army.

 **However, they needn't have worried. Just before the two armies met, Ozpin raised his staff. The sun had peeked over the hill, and the light was caught by the crystal in Ozpin's staff. Immediately, the battlefield was flooded by blinding sunlight. The uruks were so shocked that some lowered, and even dropped their pikes to cover their eyes. The effect lasted just enough for the riders to slam into, and overrun the enemy army's front lines.**

"Gutsy strategy," said Qrow.

"They would have had to time that perfectly," said Winter in awe.

Ozpin smiled a little proudly.

 **Meanwhile in Isengard, another battle went in favor of the fellowship.**

 **Sun and Neptune, from atop Treebeard, saw an ent lift up a piece of the wall of Isengard, and hurtle it toward the army of worker orcs that desperately tried to protect their fortress. Neptune saw another ent kick orcs left and right, before the sight was cut off by Treebeard lifting a boulder overhead. Sun and Neptune got some falling pebbles for ammunition.**

 **Treebeard then kicked aside another orc, before he tossed a new boulder at some of orcs that had brought an ent down. The downed ent got up, and resumed to rampage through the tower grounds. Sun and Neptune, for their part slung stones at orcs that had strayed, or tried to get a jump on the other ents.**

" **A hit, a fine hit!" praised Treebeard.**

 **Sun and Neptune looked at the tower, and saw a white wizard with a panicked expression from one of the balconies of the tower.**

"Hmm… He may be an associate, but I have to say, it's nice seeing Arthur so frustrated," chuckled Cinder.

"Trouble in paradise?" asked Qrow.

"In a way. His constant bragging grates on the nerves. If only it were Tirion losing it; that would be amusing to watch," said Cinder.

 **However, their observation was cut short when they noticed that Treebeard was shaking.**

 **rrrrrrrrrrrRRRRR…**

 **The two hobbits heard a low rumble, and turned to see a torrent of water rush at them.**

" **Sun, hold on!" yelled Neptune, as both he and Sun tightened their grips on Treebeard.**

" **We have broken the dam! Hang on, little hobbits," ordered Treebeard, who dug the roots of his feet into the earth. Soon water flooded the fortress, and began to sweep away the orcs, and flood the grounds, and the foundries beneath the earth. Finally, the water struck them hard but the ents, and two hobbits held firm.**

"Time to wash down all that crap," said Yang.

"Yeah… Send the whole damn operation to hell," said Ilia.

It like watching one of the oldest fantasies of the White Fang play out: the filth of the SDC mines being cleansed.

 **A dozen uruks killed more humans within the hall, and burst through the door that the filth had been keen on protecting. They found themselves in a cave that looked empty and unimportant. The main army was being torn apart, and these creatures thought it would be a good idea to use the keep itself to hold their position.**

" **What's going on?" one of them asked gruffly, "Who's that white wizard."**

" **Not our master, surely. That must be some pretender!"**

"Looks like the enemy army isn't the only thing that has them freaking out," said Mercury.

"Psychological warfare is quite effective," chirped Penny.

"Wait, isn't that cave…?" began Emerald.

" **Quiet… I smell manflesh," said the third uruk as he sniffed around.**

 **The war band moved quietly, and stalked through the cavern. They hid behind some stones, and saw two men in army usher droves of human females, and children moving further into the caves.**

" **Looks like we found some easy pickings, boys," growled an uruk.**

" **Let's gut them, like we did those elves last night!"**

"Oh, fuck you!" booed Ilia.

" **Yes… Imagine the looks of those scum when then they see their she-folk butchered."**

"They are dead…" growled Blake.

"Ooh, kitty's angry," said Yang from above.

"They killed the elven reinforcements, and Ilia's counterpart. They better wind up dead," said Blake.

 **They stalked after the fleeing group.**

" **GRAAH!" squeal one of the uruks.**

 **One of the other uruks turned to see a blade pull out of his broodmate's back. The warrior that killed them then dismembered the other uruk's sword hand before thrusting the blade into his throat. The third uruk however, was able to stop the attacker. It got into a blade lock with the warrior, but paused to see a woman with brown skin, green hair, and red eyes. The surprise caused a fatal delay though, and it took him a moment to register that a sword had thrusted through his armor.**

"Looks like you two will have your wish," said Ironwood.

"Avenge our fallen comrades, Good Emerald!" cheered Nora.

Emerald choked a little at her counterpart's new title.

 **Emerald faced the intruders with hatred in her eyes.**

" **You will not touch them!" Emerald roared.**

" **It's just one of their she-folk! Gut her!" one of the uruks roared.**

 **One of them charged, and she danced around him, and swung the blade into his back. Another swung down upon her, but she side stepped and thrusted the blade into its throat.**

"Woo-hoo! Show them who's boss!" cheered Emerald on her feet… Then she sat down, "She's an ok fighter."

"No shame in rooting for yourself," shrugged Mercury.

"She is rather skilled," commented Cinder.

 **Two more enemies rushed her from the side faster than she could react.**

"Look out!" warned Emerald.

 **Just then, a shape appeared and deflected both of the attacker's blades.**

" **My lady, are you alright?" asked Ironwood.**

" **Master Ironwood… Yes, I am fine," said Emerald.**

" **Good! Let's finish these stragglers," said Ironwood.**

 **The dwarf, and the shield maiden both rushed at the enemy.**

Emerald sighed a little in relief. Elsewhere, the rest of the audience made their own commentary.

"Just in the nick of time!" said Nora.

"Well, it is a much shorter distance to the caves," said Ironwood jokingly.

"Guess dwarves are natural sprinters," chuckled Blake.

Ironwood laughed a little. Ghira, and Kali smiled at the sight of the two joking. Maybe the hope for better relations between Menagerie and Atlas wasn't a pipe dream after all.

 **Outside the fortress, the uruks were in a full rout.**

" **Victory! We have victory!" shouted King Hazel.**

 **The riders began to pursue, but Ren rode ahead and across the front lines of their side.**

" **Stay out of the forest!" ordered Ren, "Stay away from the trees!"**

"Trees?" asked Weiss.

"There weren't any trees in the valley," said Coco.

"Unless…" began Velvet.

 **Jaune saw before him a forest that he knew for certain was not there last night. He saw the uruks run into the woods, and shortly after, the trees shook. Screams emanated from within, and the sounds of bones being broken, and flesh being torn echoed throughout the area. After witnessing the grisly scene everyone turned to the fortress.**

"Those were the trees sent by Mr. Treebeard. I'm certain of it," said Penny.

"They got there that quickly?" asked Winter.

"They must have been really pissed," said Coco.

 **Jaune approached Emerald, who had blood on her clothes. Before he could say anything, she embraced him tightly.**

" **You made it!" she said relieved before she broke her embrace, "We won a victory."**

"Ugh, really?" Emerald gagged.

"The blush on your face says otherwise," teased Mercury.

"Shut up, Mercury," as he flushed face got hotter.

" **What happened?" asked Jaune as he pointed at the blood, "Did the barricade break?"**

" **Yes. I was able to hold them off for a time, then Master Ironwood reinforced me, and we finished them off. No one was harmed though, thank goodness," said Emerald.**

 **Jaune nodded proudly to Emerald.**

" **It's because you were there," said Jaune.**

" **Thank you, my lord," said Emerald somewhat shyly.**

" **Emerald!"**

 **The two looked, and saw Lie Ren.**

" **Cousin?!" gasped Emerald before she pushed Jaune aside, and ran to the man, "Cousin, you came!"**

"Yes, thanks for ending that," sighed Emerald, relieved.

"Um… You're welcome?" said Ren.

 **Ren opened his arms, and greeted his step cousin with a tight hug. Jaune smiled, and left the two alone to catch up.**

'Well, they're cousins in this universe, so I'll let it slide this time. But in real life, no one touches my man!' Nora thought with a grumble.

 **Meanwhile further down in the fortress, Ironwood was smoking a pipe when he noticed Blake stride before him with a confident expression.**

" **Final count: forty two," said Blake.**

"Were they really keeping score?" asked Blake, surprised.

"It's only natural," said Ironwood, "I lost track, so it doesn't really matter."

"It's good to see you act maturely about this," said Glynda.

 **Ironwood, who was sitting on a dead uruk with his axe in its head, simply chuckled.**

" **Forty two? Oh, that's not bad for a pointy-eared elvish princess," said Ironwood, who got a perplexed expression from the elf, "I myself am sitting pretty on forty three."**

"I won?" gasped Ironwood, before a smile graced his face, "Oh yeah!"

"…I spoke too soon," said Glynda.

"…Not bad, Ms. Belladonna. A good effort," said Ironwood, a little embarrassed.

"Right," snorted Blake with a smile.

 **Blake immediately drew her bow and arrow, and shot it at the uruk Ironwood at on.**

" **Forty three," she replied.**

" **He was already dead," said Ironwood.**

" **He twitched," said Blake as she pointed at the corpse.**

" **He twitched, because he's got my axe…" Ironwood grabbed his axe and tugged.**

 **The uruk's arms and legs jerked about.**

"… **embedded in his nervous system," finished the dwarf.**

"Someone's a sore loser," said Nora.

"Oh, trust me, she is. Especially on game night," said Yang.

"I am not a sore loser. Besides, everyone knows that that move you pulled to destroy my forces was a cheap shot," said Blake.

"She even gets passive aggressive," said Yang.

"Oh, how cute," gushed Kali as memories of Blake's childhood resurfaced, "I wish you could have taken pictures."

"Mom…" groaned Blake as her team laughed a little.

" **Blake, Ironwood," came a voice from behind.**

 **The two stopped their banter, and saw Jaune had arrived.**

" **So, who won?" asked Jaune with a smile.**

" **We tied," said Blake.**

"What?!" gasped Ironwood.

"Lies!" declared Nora.

 **Ironwood got to his feet.**

" **E-Excuse me?! What nonsense is this?" sputtered the dwarf.**

" **Ironwood's last kill had some life left. So I finished it off," explained Blake with her usual stoic expression.**

" **That's very noble of you, Blake," acknowledged Jaune.**

"It was a good effort, general," said Blake sweetly.

"That's cheating," grumbled Ironwood.

Suddenly a flash of light, and the two saw Kali had her scroll out.

"Another pouty face for the scrapbook," cooed Kali.

"Did her lip always do that when she got passive aggressive?" asked Ghira as he took a look at the image.

Ironwood let out a satisfied laugh, and Blake's ears folded down.

"Mom! Dad!" groaned Blake.

" **Now see here, you beardless rascals!" objected Ironwood.**

"Jaune has a beard," said Pyrrha.

"Compared to Ironwood's, it might as well be stubble," said Qrow.

" **A shame there was no clear winner. Perhaps in the next battle, my friend" said Blake with a knowing smile.**

 **Jaune snorted, at Ironwood's fish-like expression.**

" **Perhaps," allowed Jaune with a smile, "For now though, mount up. Ozpin, and the king await us at the gate."**

 **As soon as Jaune was out of earshot, Ironwood grabbed Blake by the wrist.**

" **We tied?" he repeated, incredulous.**

" **We did. It was an impressive comeback," teased Blake.**

" **You sneaky little…" grumbled Ironwood, "Fine, we won the battle that's what matters, but next time… Next time I'll win."**

" **I look forward to seeing you try," smirked Blake as she trailed after Jaune.**

" **Tall people," huffed Ironwood.**

"Oh, it's on," said Ironwood.

"I'll win," said Blake with a mildly competitive tone.

"Blake, don't antagonize the general," scolded Weiss.

"But I wanna see who wins," said Ruby.

"Yeah, don't be a KJ, Weiss" said Yang.

Weiss, and Winter rolled their eyes.

 **Jaune arrived with his friends on horseback outside the gate. Ren and King Hazel were there as well, the two gave polite nods to their allies from atop their own steeds. Ozpin, on Shadowfax, looked out into the distance toward the east, and nodded his head to urge them to follow. The rode out to the mouth of valley where Helm's Deep was built, and along the outer edges of the new forest toward the East. In the distance, they could see dark storm clouds rising from above the Mountains of Shadow.**

" **Salem's wrath will be terrible, her retribution, swift," declared Ozpin.**

 **Jaune could see a flash of lightning, and the glow of the Mountain of Doom beneath the clouds.**

" **The Battle for Helm's Deep is over," said Ozpin, "The Battle for Middle Earth is about to begin."**

 **Jaune turned to Ozpin, who looked back with a nod.**

" **All our hopes lie with two little hobbits somewhere in the wilderness," said Ozpin.**

"Well, we have some help now," said Ruby.

"Really?" asked Yang.

"Well, his counterpart offered, and he seems nice," said Ruby.

"Aw thanks, squirt," said Mercury.

"Not you. You're a weirdo… an evil weirdo," said Ruby.

 **Ruby was woken up in the early morning by Mercury.**

"Is it dawn?" asked Coco.

"I'm pretty sure it was morning during the battle," said Sun.

"Maybe it's the next morning we're watching," said Ilia.

"Or a different time zone," suggested Weiss.

" **Don't worry, it's just me," said Mercury.**

" **Is it morning already?"**

" **Not yet, but night is almost over and the moon is setting," said Mercury before his face became serious, "There is a matter on which I desire counsel. I'm sorry to wake you, but will you come? I can assure you it's quite urgent."**

" **Of course," said Ruby, who got to her feet quietly so as not to wake Yang.**

"You're not bringing me?" gasped Yang.

"You're tired. You, and dad both snore like that when you're really tired," said Ruby.

" **SNNRRAAGH!" snored Yang.**

"I don't snore like that!" yelped Tai and Yang.

"Yeah, you do, Tai," "Yeah, you do, Yang," said Raven, and Qrow, Weiss, and Blake respectively.

Both blonde's grumbled.

 **Ruby was led to a waterfall that poured into a sinkhole, not from where they were resting. At the bottom of the white water falls was a basin where waters swirled darkly until it flowed away. Suddenly, a dark shape leapt into the water.**

" **What was that?" asked Ruby.**

" **I saw it earlier with one of my men. He said it seemed like a man, but it jumps into the water with the mastery of kingfisher," said Mercury, "However…"**

 **The shape reappeared, and Ruby gasped.**

 **The figure was Cinder with a freshly caught fish.**

"Now she reappears?!" gasped Weiss.

"She doesn't seem too broken up after the earlier 'loss' of her mistress," snorted Raven.

"… **I realized she's with you," said Mercury, who then lifted his hand.**

 **Several other rangers emerged, and trained their arrows on the unaware Cinder.**

" **This pool is very near to one of our secret hideaways, Ruby Rose. I let your gangrel creature be until now at your request, but now I cannot ignore it any longer. Shall I shoot?"**

" **No, wait – FSSSSSHHH!**

The screen suddenly turned black, and the lights went on. The shock of the sudden brightness was quickly replaced by the sight of the VHS fizzling, and smoking.

"Whoa!" gasped Ruby from her bubble.

Archie swiftly moved to intervene, and he turned off the VHS. He then quickly got the volume out, and set it aside.

"What happened?" asked Glynda.

"It appears the VHS is stressed. We won't be able to use it for the rest of the day… Not that it matters all too much," said Archie as he gestured to the window.

The artificial image of downtown Vale showed that it was already dark.

"What time is it?" asked Tai Yang.

"According to the clocks I created, 9:30 PM," said Archie.

"That means we've been watching non-stop since lunch," said Ren.

"My eyes do kind of hurt," said Pyrrha.

"I think we could all do with some sleep," said Ren.

"What about dinner?" asked Velvet.

"We've been chowing on popcorn, and candy. I think we can have a real breakfast in the morning," said Coco.

"Ren makes pancakes!" cheered Nora.

"Nora…" groaned Ren, who noticed everyone round over to him.

"Do we get any?" asked Emerald.

"In your own quarters, which I will show you to shortly. But first…" began Archie.

Archie lowered Ruby, and Yang from the bubble, which popped on contact with the ground.

"Oof…" groaned both Yang and Ruby.

"Have you calmed down, you two?" asked Archie.

"Yeah… Sorry," said Yang.

"I don't know what came over me. _He_ was being a jerk, and well… One thing led to another, I guess," said Ruby apologetically.

"Things can get stressful with these viewings. I don't need real life drama added to it," said Archie.

The two sister shrunk a little.

"…That said, I am glad you learned your lesson. All I ask is that you try to be considerate of my position," said Archie more kindly.

"We will," said Yang.

"Now then… One more matter to take care of," said Archie.

Archie strode over to Cinder's bubble.

"Miss Fall, if you will permit me to touch you…"

"WHAT?!" shrieked Cinder.

Emerald got into a defensive position, with Mercury following suit.

"Had no idea you were into girls like her," said Qrow.

"…Oh, I shouldn't have said it like that," said Archie before he cleared his throat, "Miss Fall?"

"Fuck off!" growled Cinder.

"Don't you want to get the voice out of your head?" asked Archie.

Cinder suddenly went pale.

"Voice? In her head?" asked Mercury.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" demanded Emerald, not quite convinced.

"There's been a voice in your head for a while now… During the second of the three volumes is when it appeared, if I'm not mistaken," explained Archie.

"…How do you know?" asked Cinder.

Immediately, her two goons relaxed, and the rest of the viewers became very interested.

"This is my Archive. Nothing happens without my notice… Well, not for long anyway. Would you like me to remove the voice from your head?" asked Archie.

"You mean you can make her uncrazy?" asked Nora.

"Only in this particular instance, and no, she isn't crazy. She just has an unexpected tagalong," said Archie.

"Another creepy grimm worm?" asked Sun.

" _Excuse me?! What did that monkey call me?!"_ screamed a voice in Cinder's head.

Cinder visibly flinched this time.

"Cinder!" yelped Emerald, who came to her side.

Cinder shoved Emerald.

"I'm fine…" she gasped out, and she looked at Archie balefully, "You can take this… thing out of my head?"

"Yes, I can take her out of your head," said Archie.

"…Her? What did she give me besides the grimm?" muttered Cinder.

"This isn't her doing," said Archie, who then pointed to Qrow, "It's his… sort of."

"Mine?!" gasped Qrow.

"How is it Uncle Qrow's fault?!" gasped Ruby.

"You'll see in a moment," said Archie, who turned back to Cinder, "If you will allow me?"

Cinder hesistated…

" _Do it! I want out of here! It's icky!"_ screamed the voice.

"Do it… You touching me is a small price to pay for ridding myself of this annoyance," growled Cinder.

Archie's hand moved into the bubble, and caressed the top of Cinder's head. His hand glowed, and he pulled. A large wisp of fire shot out of the bubble, and floated in the air briefly.

"Finally! I'm out of there!" said the fire as it floated down.

"…That voice," gasped Ozpin.

"Glad to see you still remember me," said the fire.

The fire touched the ground, and the room flashed. As it faded, the fire formed into the shape of a body. The body's details became more, and more defined with each second. First a feminine figure, then a short haircut that went down the shoulders, followed by soft amber eyes, tan skin, and shapely breasts. When the light stopped fading, the figure was revealed.

"Amber?" shuddered Ozpin.

There stood Amber, nude as the day she was born… kind of. Said woman was slightly transparent, and had an ethereal glow about her.

"Glad to see you, old man," said Amber coyly.

"You're… alive?" gasped Glynda.

"No! Ghost!" declared Nora with an accusing finger.

Immediately, Amber frowned.

"Funny. What was it you said when I agreed to become a Maiden? 'Don't worry, you'll be safe. I've got the best bodyguard looking after you.' Bullshit!" shouted Amber.

"Uh… Look, why don't we calm down," coughed Qrow a little uncomfortably.

"Oh no. We are talking about this now," said growled Amber.

"In the nude?" asked Archie.

Amber blinked a little, and then looked down at her body.

"…Oh shit" said Amber.

…

 **Author's Notes: Well, that concludes LOTR, for now.**

 **I did mention that it was important for the plot of the story, and it kind of is. Some probably wondered if I needed to do this back to back to deliver on the plot point I'm getting at. Probably not, but at the time, it seemed the best way to it, and I try to follow through on my actions.**

 **Anyway. Amber's joined in.**

 **How, you may ask. Fanfiction mumbo-jumbo, that's how! So stay tuned for that, and the other viewers I have joining in.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes**

 **After rereading the books, I realized just how different Theoden is in the movies. In the books, he was a total badass who fought his hardest to avenge his kingdom for the way Saruman assaulted them. In the movies, he was kind of a weepy guy. I mean, I get that he was playing the role of the grieving father who let his people down, but he's a king. There are times to grieve and times to act, and the Theoden of the books was a man of action.**

 **The song of the Ents comes from the books, and there's a nice rendition of it on YouTube.**

 **The Forbidden Pool scene appearing after the Battle of Helm's Deep was sort of my way of following the format and timeline of the books. You know that the halves of the story between Aragorn and company, and Frodo and Sam are happening at the same time. However, you don't precisely know how the close in sync the journeys are on a chapter by chapter basis, if you know what I mean.**

 **Update: Intermission, and the _Fiery Priest_ – Sometime Next Week**


	40. Intermission - Reveal

**No, I'm not dead.**

 **Sorry for the late update. This chapter was much trickier to do than I realized.**

 **Also, chapters will be coming in a little more slowly now. I have an idea for a story, and I want to work on that too.**

 **In any case, it's a double-chapter update to make up for the long pause.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth.**

 **Chapter 40 – Intermission**

It was morning in the Archive. Amber had been given a strange mannequin for her soul to inhabit. It was a creepy thing, not unlike the Atlesian knights back home in Remnant. However, the moment Amber entered the mannequin, it transformed into a perfect replica of her old body. As the features became more defined, it formed a simple pant and T-shirt to give her some modesty.

With Amber's body and clothes taken care of, Archie proceeded to explain how the former Fall Maiden was in the archive. The explanation stunned everyone in the room.

"…And that's what I believe happened," said Archie.

"What you _believe_ happened?" gasped Amber.

"The soul is an incredibly complex thing. Even I only know so much about the nature of the soul," said Archie.

"So… I am a fragment… Not even really me?" asked Amber.

"By my guess, yes. Your maiden powers are tied to your soul. Had Miss Fall successfully taken your gift in its entirety, you would be dead, and not here," said Archie.

"…Wow. That's a lot to take in… And I thought being in a multiverse library about a blonde kid I've never met was unreal," said Amber.

"Oh? It seems you know the situation then. Saves me an explanation," said Archie.

"Yeah, well what she heard, I heard," said Amber, as she pointed to Cinder.

"Speaking of hearing…" growled Cinder, "How come I heard her voice in my head? Do you have an explanation for that?"

"That grimm in your body," said Archie, "It enabled you to rob Amber of her power, but it also served as a kind of suppressor. My guess is that since the magic of the maiden's is derived from the God of Light, the grimm fought with the conflicting magical energies, and a foreign soul. With the grimm gone, Amber's fragment was free to interact with you."

" _God of Light?"_ someone from the audience muttered, which triggered a bunch of ignored whispers.

"Joy…" said Cinder, who then turned thoughtful, "You mentioned a 'suppressor?' Suppressor of what?"

"If I were to guess? You," said Archie.

"Me?" questioned Cinder.

"The power of the maiden is mighty indeed. Do you really think _she_ would let you move around with such power freely?" asked Archie.

Cinder growled.

"Soo… Confirming the powers from that one potential future we saw is interesting and all, but is anyone going to clue us in as to what all the cloak and dagger is?" asked Velvet.

"Yeah, it seems like there's a topic you've all been dancing around," said Sun.

"Quite," said Weiss, "Your 'subtle' jabs aren't as subtle as you think."

"You've noticed then," said Ozpin.

"Yeah, we have," confirmed Ruby.

"Think you can clue us in, Archie?" asked Pyrrha.

"I won't… Ozpin mentioned that he would in the last volume when you learned Headmaster Lionheart was aiding Miss Fall. All of this will be his tale to tell," said Archie.

"Before I do," began Ozpin as he turned to Ruby, "Tell me, Miss Rose, what have you put together?"

"Well, we figured that since you, and Cinder were going at it, that you knew she was a criminal," began Ruby.

The villains snorted.

"However, as time went on, we realized it was something deeper," continued Ruby, who sent the trio a quick glare.

"I started to wonder if there were factions involved," said Weiss.

"Oh?" asked Ozpin.

"Yeah," said Blake, "Weiss, and I whispered the idea to one another, and we came into agreement. The two of you acted like some of the competing factions within the White Fang."

"Or within my family's company," said Weiss.

"Also, Raven gave some hints as well," said Yang.

Raven looked at her daughter, intrigued.

"Raven's been making jabs at Professor Ozpin, and Uncle Qrow since she got here. However when Cinder showed up, and we saw the previous universe, she really stepped it up. She made cracks at how the wizard version of you was hiding things from their companions from Salem. Almost as if you do it too…" said Yang.

"And tell me, what does all of this information tell you?" asked Ozpin.

"…That there _is_ a Salem, and that Cinder works for her," said Ruby.

"Quite," said Ozpin.

"I was beginning to wonder as well," said Ren, "It stood to reason that if there were alternate versions of ourselves, then perhaps there was an alternative Salem."

"Makes sense," nodded Coco.

"Yeah," said Sun.

"So, who is Salem in our universe?" asked Nora, "A mafia don after magical girls hell bent on world domination?"

"An apt description," said Ozpin somberly, "Alas, if it only it were so simple."

"What do you mean? That's what you told me… More or less," said Amber.

"What you told her…? You poor girl," snorted Raven.

"Raven…" warned Qrow.

"Pfft… As if keeping quiet is an option at this point. It's funny. I was wondering when someone would spill the beans. I'm surprised no one did until now," said Raven.

"I was waiting for the right time to ruin him," said Cinder who pointed to Ozpin, "If he wants to do it himself, he is free to."

"How would what Professor is about to say ruin him?" asked Penny.

"Because there are things I have hidden… from even my closest allies," said Ozpin.

Ironwood, Glynda, and Qrow tensed a little. Amber narrowed her eyes a little, but held her tongue.

"First thing is first. Just as you mentioned, there is a Salem in our universe as well," said Ozpin.

Ruby, Winter, Tai, Ilia, the Belladonnas, and all the students nodded.

"However, just as in in the world we witnessed, Salem is a powerful being with almost divine powers," said Ozpin.

That got a gasp out of everyone, except for Ozpin's team, Cinder and Raven.

"Whoa, for real?" asked Ilia.

"Is she really just like what we saw?" asked Winter, stunned.

"Yes… She is much like the being we witnessed. She is terrifying; an unstoppable force the likes of which the world at large has never seen," said Ozpin, who then turned his gaze to Cinder, "Enough to frighten even those I believed I could trust."

"Lionheart simply sees how hopeless the struggle is against her. He's only doing the logical thing," said Cinder.

"How did Headmaster Lionheart know about her?" asked Sun.

"Ozpin, naturally," said Raven.

Everyone looked to her.

"All headmasters know about Salem, as well as select individuals or teams of students. Our team included," said Raven.

"So… Mom knew?" asked Ruby, stunned.

"Summer knew?" asked Tai.

Raven looked to Tai, almost sadly.

"She knew," confirmed Raven, "We were the best team of our generation in Beacon. As such, we were given the party line about how we could make a difference. Everyone but Tai, anyway."

"What?! Why not dad?" asked Yang, confused.

"Yes, Professor. Why not me?" asked Tai.

"Because you weren't trusted," said Raven.

Ozpin flinched a little.

"Wait… Summer mentioned top secret missions from Ozpin," gasped Tai, "So that's what it was all about. Salem…"

"It was…" said Raven before she eyed her former husband, "It was also the key reason why I left?"

Tai and Yang went pale when she heard her mother's words.

"I realized something on those missions. For every victory, there was a setback, or two. We weren't getting anywhere. As such, I came to one of two conclusions. Either we have shitty intelligence and Salem's weakness is yet to be discovered, or Salem cannot die. Salem has been around for time beyond counting, according to you Ozpin," said Raven as she rounded over to the headmaster, "Surely, you must know a weakness at this point."

All eyes fell on Ozpin.

"…No, it is as you said, Raven. Salem cannot die," said Ozpin.

Everyone, even Raven, seemed taken aback. While not shocked she was correct, she was surprised Ozpin admitted it. In front of his own people, no less.

"…She cannot die?" asked Glynda, dumbstruck.

"No… I have slain her several times before in the past. However, she revives herself not long after death, as strong as she was before the battle. I have died several times in those instances as well," said Ozpin.

"You… died?" asked Nora.

"Multiple times?" added Pyrrha, in shock.

"How? And… how old are you?" asked Ghira.

"Millennia beyond counting," answered Ozpin.

"Looking pretty good for a thousand year old geezer," said Mercury to himself.

"Shit… The maiden was a tough nut to crack, but this is bigger than we thought," muttered Emerald.

Amber glared at the three people who ambushed her, but the two of them ignored her. They were much more focused on the very thoughtful looking Cinder.

Cinder was struck by the information as well, since she thought along the same lines as Raven when it came to Salem's strength. She had hoped to gain the powers of the maidens with Salem's help. However, once she had all four seasons at her command, she would use the powers for her own ambitions, even if it meant dealing with Salem herself to be able to do so. News of the suppressor, and Salem's immortality however, threw a wrench into her calculations.

"How did she gain immortality?" asked Ironwood.

"Or you, for that matter?" asked Blake.

"To know that, you must know my tale, as well as a time long before the Remnant we all know," said Ozpin, "Let me see if I can remember the story."

Ozpin waited until all attention is on him, and he took a breath.

"Once, long ago there was a warrior of great renown. His name was Ozma, and he stood before a lonely tower that sheltered a lonely girl. The girl's name… was Salem."

 **xXxXx**

"What am I doing here?" asked Jaune to himself.

Bzzt… Bzzt… Bzzt…

Jaune picked up his scroll.

It was Pyrrha for the third time in ten minutes. He put the scroll down, and decided to wait for a few more minutes. He just needed some alone time.

Bzzt… Bzzt… Bzzt…

"Yeesh, Nora really wants those waffles," said Jaune as he checked his scroll.

His face went pale.

This time, it wasn't Pyrrha, or a hungry Nora calling him.

It was worse. One of several people in his life who could not be denied.

He pressed the button.

"Hey, Saffron," said Jaune.

Saffron, his oldest sister had the brightest smile, and her eyes were practically sparkling.

Jaune was scared.

" _Hi, Baby-Bro…"_ said Saffron in too sweet a voice.

"Hey, sis. How's Terra, and Adrian?" asked Jaune.

Distract his sister with her hot wife, and adorable kid; the classic distraction play.

"Terra's fine. It's our anniversary today, and so she's coming home early. No screen time for Adrian though. He's with a sitter right now," said Saffron.

"You need a sitter for tonight? Doesn't Terra normally cook at home for the two of you?" asked Jaune.

"Normally, but she got a bonus today. So we're going to a Dupree's later," said Saffron.

"The steakhouse? Must be some bonus if you're splurging it all there," said Jaune.

"Oh, it is. By the way, I saw you on the news," said Saffron.

Jaune coughed a little.

"Y-You did?" gasped Jaune.

"Of course. Did you really think distracting me with Terra was going to work?" asked Saffron coyly.

"Eh-heh…" said Jaune nervously.

"Anyway, Adrian and I saw you go to town on that ursa. You should have seen Adrian. He was laughing, and clapping, and I told him 'That's your uncle, Jaune.' He then started to cheer, and laugh," said Saffron.

"He's a one year old. It's not like he's gonna knows what's going on," said Jaune, flattered, and a little flushed.

"Don't put yourself down, little bro. You should be proud you managed to actually hold your own. It's a stark contrast compared to how you handled yourself in dad's lessons," said Saffron.

Jaune thought back on one of the few times his dad wasn't busy dealing with his sisters' drama. The lessons went poorly, most of which ended with him freaking out over something. Compared to that, perhaps he had improved significantly.

"Speaking of the old man, I sent him a link to the news story where you appeared," said Saffron.

"Y-You did? W-What did he say," gulped Jaune.

Saffron's eyes softened, and her smile seemed a little warmer.

"He was proud of how you handled yourself," said Saffron.

Clack…

"…"

"…Hello? Jaune?" asked Saffron.

Jaune picked up his scroll.

"He… He was?" asked Jaune.

"Yes… He was," said Saffron excitedly.

"What did he say?" asked Jaune, "Can you give me specifics?"

"Well, he said your form was a little awkward, and you used too many small attacks," began Saffron.

Jaune's head fell a little.

"…However, what mattered was that you brought the ursa down, and lived to tell the tale. He was so happy with how much you've grown. Whatever you're doing at Beacon is working, and he's glad you're able to pursue your dream," said Saffron.

"Wow… Such a huge contrast compared to the last time I got in contact with mom and dad," said Jaune.

"To be fair, you did get into a prestigious school for warriors with no training. They were worried," said Saffron.

"Yeah, I know," said Jaune.

"How did you get in, by the way?" asked Saffron.

"Um… confidence?" asked Jaune.

"…Confidence," repeated Saffron with a flat look.

"S-So dad was impressed. Maybe I should call in a bit. Let them know I'm fine, and all," laughed off Jaune.

Saffron rolled her eyes, and scoffed.

"…Well, you're alive, that's all that matters. As for mom and dad, yes, you should," said Saffron in approval. She looked elsewhere, and giggled, "Well, Terra's going to be home soon, and I need a man's opinion."

"Um… What?" Jaune blinked.

Jaune saw that Saffron had set her scroll down, and walked away.

He wanted to cover his eyes, but he was just too shocked to do so.

Saffron was wearing blue lingerie. More specifically, a lacey bustier with a flounced skirt, matching lace panties, and thigh-high stockings.

"Ack… Saff, I'm your brother. You can't just show me stuff like this," said Jaune as he finally shielded his eyes.

"Come on! I can't ask our other sisters, they'll tease me. And I sure as hell am not asking our parents," said Saffron with a huffy voice.

"So it's okay to ask me? You know this sort of thing stays on the CCT cloud network, right?" asked Jaune.

"Terra's a CCT technician. She tweaked our scrolls a bit, so that's not happening on ours, or even your scroll. Anyway, you and Terra have similar tastes. You're perfect for asking," teased Saffron.

"What tastes are those?" asked Jaune.

"Delicate ladies with rocking hair, and elegant demeanors," said Saffron.

"I wouldn't call your noogies, delicate," mumbled Jaune.

"Hm? What's that? You want a knuckle sandwich?" asked Saffron.

"N-No… I said I'll help," chuckled Jaune nervously.

Aura, or not, there was no way he'd cross his sister. He looked calmly at his sister…

"You look… good."

"Just good?" asked Saffron.

"You're my big sister. 'Good' is the best you're getting out of me," said Jaune with a flat face.

"Fine… I'll take that as 'You are the most beautiful maiden in all the land, and Terra's damn lucky.' Is that a correct translation?" asked Saffron.

"Sure, whatever," said Jaune.

"Well, I've got to get some things ready for after dinner. Thanks baby bro, and be sure to call mom, and dad. They miss you," said Saffron.

"I will. Now hang up, and put some clothes on," said Jaune.

Saffron laughed as she hung up the phone.

Jaune sighed out…

"Dad was impressed, eh?" asked Jaune.

…

"…"

Jaune went to his contact list.

 **xXxXx**

Everyone was silent after Ozpin finished his tale.

"…I don't know what to say," said Ruby suddenly.

What could they say in response to what Ozpin had revealed?

"All of humanity was wiped out once before?" asked Yang.

"Yes, and faunus weren't in existence until my first resurrection," said Ozpin.

Or was it Ozma now?

"That's…" choked Blake.

"This… Surely you jest…" said Weiss in response.

Ozpin casually looked at Weiss, but Weiss merely shrunk in the sight of her headmaster. His eyes seemed so much older, and more calculating. For the students it felt as though some mighty being looked at them in the same way one might study an ant. Suddenly, the eyes softened, and a melancholy expression settled upon his face.

"I wish I was jesting, Miss Schnee. I truly do," said Ozpin.

"If Salem was cursed with immortality by the gods, how were you planning to stop her?" asked Glynda with a shaky voice.

"…I have no plan," said Ozpin.

"Wait, what?" asked Sun, horrified.

"After years of searching, I used the Relic of Knowledge to see if there was a way to stop her. To see if there was a weakness I could exploit. However, the response from the relic was that I could not stop her," admitted Ozpin.

Archie sighed after hearing that.

"So your plan was to delay the inevitable?" asked Ironwood, shocked.

"I remember my battles with Salem. I killed her many times, and she got back up, fully healed and more furious each time. For centuries, no, for millennia I believed there was some weakness, a secret I was missing. Alas, after all that searching, there was none," said Ozpin.

There was a quiet in the room, and the news settled in.

"And here I thought watching another version of myself dying was a lot to take in," muttered Ilia as she took a seat.

Pyrrha nodded in agreement.

"They were together, and now they're mortal enemies… Talk about a break up," muttered Mercury.

'We're in the middle of war, and we technically work for Salem,' thought Emerald to herself.

"If Salem can't be killed, how can we even fight her?" asked Pyrrha.

"You can't," said Raven.

All eyes were on her.

"What's the point trying to slay the unkillable? All you'll do is waste your life," said Raven.

"There has to be a way to stop her," said Tai.

Raven snorted.

"Summer thought the exact same thing, look where that got her," said Raven.

Ruby gasped, and Yang growled.

"How dare you say that," growled Tai.

"I worked with her and Qrow at Ozpin's order. I have every right to say it," growled Raven.

"And then you left her; left all of us!" accused Tai.

"I brought her back to you!" snapped Raven.

Tai stood there as though he had been struck, and both Yang and Ruby had a hard time swallowing.

"Salem's agents had set up a trap, for Ozpin's agent; for Summer. I felt her distress through my semblance. I grabbed her before they could deliver the final blow, and went back to Patch! How else would you have been able to bury her? Ozpin would have left her to rot in some forest in the middle of nowhere. Another 'unfortunate casualty' in his stupid lover's quarrel!" roared Raven.

Raven panted, breathless after her confession.

"…Rae, your eyes ," said Qrow.

Raven blinked, and realized that she had activated something.

"You have… the power of the Spring Maiden?" gasped Ozpin.

The aura around Raven's eyes dissipated.

"…Pft. Well, shit. I guess today's a day for secrets," cursed Raven.

"Why? How…?" asked Ozpin.

"She ran off from Lionheart when the burden of the Maiden was too much for her. She knew me by reputation, and asked me to train her and take her on. I figured a Maiden would come in handy in case you, or Salem, came looking for me. She couldn't handle the training, though, and then she became a liability," said Raven.

"You didn't," said Qrow, with dread.

"…It was a matter of survival. I did what I needed to do to keep the tribe safe," said Raven, who then sent a snarl to Ozpin, "That poor girl. If she only knew how pointless the struggle was, then maybe she wouldn't have taken an offer from a wizard."

Raven then got up, and walked away.

As soon as Raven vanished into the hallway, a choked sob broke the silence. They turned to see Amber, a mix of fury and sorrow upon her face.

"So all this time…" growled Amber as tears flowed, "I sacrificed everything. My boyfriend, my life, my future... to be a maiden. You told me I would make a difference. That I would keep the world safe."

"You did," said Ozpin in reassurance.

"I didn't!" snapped Amber.

Immediately an aura around her eyes flared, and the room began to heat up. Cinder gasped, and clenched the part of her chest where heart was as an unbearable strain twisted within her. Emerald, and Mercury went to her side to support her, and the pain was alleviated slightly.

"It didn't make any difference…" she pointed to Raven's direction, "That woman… she said my sister, the Spring Maiden, was crushed by the burden. I was too, but I kept myself going because you said it was for a good cause. But now? It's cost me half my soul, and possibly my life."

She then pointed to Ozpin.

"Salem's unkillable, and I'm half dead while my team and loved ones have all moved on," scoffed Amber, "Make a difference? Use my talents for good? I could have done that without the damn powers you gave me. I should have never taken your fucking offer!"

With that, Amber stormed out of the room. Ozpin hung his head, and ran a hand through it. Tai Yang then walked over to Ozpin.

"Why?" asked Tai.

Ozpin looked up.

"Why wasn't I told? Out of the entire team, why was not let in on this?" asked Tai.

Everyone looked at Ozpin again.

"…You were the most emotional of Team STRQ. You were the kind of man who would abandon the mission to save a teammate. Everyone else was able to put the mission first, and more importantly, they could keep secrets," said Ozpin.

Tai grabbed the old man by the collar, and pulled him up.

"Don't bullshit me, Ozpin!" roared Tai.

"Whoa, Dad!" yelped Yang who grabbed Tai's shoulder.

"Let go, Yang!" shouted Tai Yang.

"I left it up to your team to let you know, but only on the condition that you could be trusted with the information."

Tai Yang's eye twitched, he wound up a fist, but Ruby grabbed her father's arm.

"DAD!" shouted Ruby.

Tai Yang wheeled around, and saw Ruby. Almost immediately, the anger disappeared as he saw Ruby's frightened face. He lowered his arms, and let Ozpin go. Ozpin stood still, a blank expression on his face. Meanwhile, Tai just turned around, and went to the corridor that led to their amenities. Once he was out of sight, Glynda placed a hand on Ozpin's shoulder.

"Do you have something to say as well, Glynda?" asked Ozpin.

"I have many things I'd like to say… Though I'm fairly certain Tai, and Amber took the words out of my mouth. Besides, I doubt it will change anything," sighed Glynda, "What's done is done. Nothing can alter the events of years gone by."

"You're taking this unusually well," said Ozpin with a hollow laugh.

Glynda squeezed Ozpin's shoulder hard, and he winced.

"I am not," growled Glynda, "However, part of me did suspect you hid things from even myself. At the time, I told myself that you had your reasons. I just didn't think it was as severe as what you revealed to everyone."

"Yes…" said Ozpin sadly, "I can't kill her. And the people of Remnant… I could not let the gods return before they were ready. They have grown so much, and their potential to keep growing is exponential. For all of that progress to be snuffed out a second time is too cruel a thought to bear."

"To you humans, perhaps," said Archie.

Everyone turned to Archie.

"It isn't uncommon for gods to snuff out their creations, especially young gods and goddesses, out of frustration," said Archie.

"How can you say that so casually?" asked Velvet.

"I try not to be casual about it. In truth, it can be frustrating. Jaune lived through some of those discarded universes, even at the point of the universe's ending. Feeling the physical pain, and emotional despair is difficult in those instances is very traumatizing. I felt all of it…" said Archie.

"Yikes. That must have been painful," said Coco.

"Very. I'd be out of commission for cycles. However, after the first couple centuries of working here, I got used to it," sighed Archie, "Those two gods of Light and Dark are still very young in relation to the cosmic scale. Their pettiness is quite well known to us. In their defense, however, the fact they sent you back at some point shows that they are learning."

"Learning?" asked Blake.

"The first universe was crafted by the Supreme One himself. All other gods and goddesses have tried to emulate his example, but most don't and feel they fall short of the mark. They erase their works in some fashion in a misguided attempt to deal with the shame. Some however learn that their creations are young and still learning, and that they need guidance. Especially when they sin against their creators," said Archie.

"So does that mean that both gods gave mankind another chance?" asked Ren.

"In Remnant, mankind was made by both gods: Light and Darkness. Without those two halves, there is no humanity at all," said Archie.

"Light and Dark, creation and destruction… Such an apt description in describing human and faunus nature," said Winter.

"Faunus…?" questioned Kali, "But we weren't around when humanity first arrived."

"Perhaps, but who else but a god, or goddess could create sentient, organic life?" responded Winter.

"That's comforting to think… Still, my head is swimming with what we've learned," said Ghira.

"Yes… Speaking of which, Winter," began Ironwood, and his lieutenant turned to face him, "I'm sorry for withholding this information from you. After all your years of service, I should let you in. However, Ozpin called the shots on who knew, and he was very suspicious of your father."

"I understand. Between my father, and military high command, I'm used to having unsavory details hidden from me," said Winter.

"Seriously? You learn the truth just like that, and all is forgiven?" scoffed Cinder, incredulous.

"Who said anything about forgiveness? I am upset, especially by the lack of trust. However, as I said, I understand the reasoning," clarified Winter.

Ironwood winced, and tried to think of a way to make it up to Winter.

"Well isn't that hunky-dory," said Emerald.

"Oh, I haven't forgiven anyone," snorted Qrow, "I wanted to punch Oz for leading me on for all these years."

Ozpin winced a little.

"But, Tai and Amber pretty much took the wind out of my sails. Besides, like Glynda said, what's done is done. Although, that doesn't mean I'm still on board," said Qrow.

"Qrow?" asked Glynda, worried.

"Not now… I need a drink. To think on where I'm gonna stand from here on out," muttered Qrow.

"You think alcohol will help?" asked Glynda disapprovingly, "If anything, it'll make you feel worse."

"Maybe for you. But I'm an expert in thinking drunk," scoffed Qrow.

Qrow walked off, and Ironwood looked to Glynda, and the two nodded to one another.

"It must have been hard, keeping this all in," said Ironwood.

"…Unbearably so. Being the only one to know the whole truth was maddening," said Ozpin.

"I don't suppose you've considered marriage counseling," said Coco.

"I doubt any marriage counselor would go near where Salem lives," said Ozpin hollowly.

"Just trying to lighten the mood," whispered Coco.

"I don't think now is an appropriate time for jokes," said Velvet, who still shuddered at the truth.

"Yeah," said Sun, "Time, and place."

All the while, Penny, who quietly processed the information revealed, came to an idea.

 **xXxXx**

Terra was on the trolley when she got a text from Saffron.

"Hmm…" she hummed as she opened her scroll.

" _Where are you, hon?"_ texted Saffron

Terra's thumbs got to work.

" _I'm on the final trolly home,"_ Terra texted, and sent.

"…"

Bing.

" _Good to know ;)…"_ was Saffron's response.

Before Terra could respond…

Bing.

Terra eyes widened, and her face went scarlet, as she tried to hide the new text from the other passengers.

" _BTW, Adrian is at the sitter's already…"_ read the text.

Accompanying the text was Saffron in a pinup pose, with the straps of her lingerie off of her shoulders as she blew a kiss. Terra pinched the bridge of her nose.

"That blonde… I know I tweaked the scrolls, but this is unacceptable," muttered Terra in both exasperation, and excitement.

Saffron needed to be reminded that this was her work scroll.

…Terra's eyes darted back, to make sure no one was looking. She then licked her lips as she snuck another peek at the image of her hot wife.

"…Yes, reminded," giggled Terra.

 **xXxXx**

'Me, and my wandering feet,' thought Tai.

"Well, dear, fancy seeing you here," said Raven with her armor off outside the bath house of the Archive that Archie had set up, "Bold of you, I must say."

"For what?"

"Cornering me alone near the bathroom when I'm only in my skirt and top… What would Yang say?" said Raven with sly smile.

Tai blushed, but cleared his throat.

"Oh, now you're acting like a concerned mother?" asked Tai darkly.

"I have concerns about our daughter. Perhaps they don't measure up to your standards, but I do think about her well-being," scoffed Raven.

"How so?" asked Tai.

"Whether or not she's soft as a result of your raising her."

"Of course you'd think that?" asked Tai, "Since I'm here though, maybe you could answer something for me."

"…It's about Summer, isn't it?" asked Raven.

"…" Tai did not answer.

"You're so obvious. Don't you think you've learned enough secrets for one day, Tai?" sighed Raven.

As Raven opened the door to the baths, Tai reached out, and grasped her wrist.

"Please! Raven… I've been in the dark all these years, and I've just now learned that someone I thought I could trust, that I could trust my children to, didn't trust me. I need to know why?" asked Tai.

"I'm pretty sure Ozpin said," said Raven.

"As if I can trust an answer from that man right now," muttered Tai.

Raven looked cooly in response.

"Honestly, Tai. This is why Ozpin never told you the whole story. Why Summer, Qrow, and I never told you," said Raven.

"What?"

"When you get emotional, you get volatile, quick to anger. You act rashly, and without thinking about the consequences. As a result, you do, and say stupid things," said Raven.

"I…"

"You were better at reining it in when we were in our second year, and when we were… together. However, even then, the moment something got under your skin, you'd lose it. That kind of mentality in the fight against Salem would get you killed. We decided, for your own safety, not to let you in on the full story," said Raven.

"So it came down to looking after poor old Tai? Making sure he didn't do anything to get the team in detention, or expelled?" asked Tai, bitterly.

"We did it to keep you alive... Yang's exactly like you; taking things too personally," scoffed Raven

"How do you know how Yang gets? You were never around," growled Tai.

"Oh, but I am. Between my semblance, and a gift Ozpin gave my brother, and I, I had my ways. Do you truly think I wouldn't have a connection to my own daughter?" asked Raven, who snorted, "Summer went on about how semblances made us special. For Qrow, and myself, it was the ultimate joke from the gods. Qrow, a happy-go-lucky brat with the worst luck imaginable. And me, a nomadic bandit tethered to others."

"Tethered…? You make it sound so terrible. Was it truly so bad?" asked Tai.

"…No, it wasn't," said Raven.

Tai looked at Raven in shock.

"Those days… were not unpleasant. Believe it, or not, Tai, I did care for you. Why else would I give myself to you? How else was I able to open a portal to Patch to spirit Summer to safety? That being said, I know myself, and I knew I wasn't ready for a settled life. That I probably would never be. I also knew we'd get into fights regarding how Yang should be raised. While you getting together was Summer was not something I anticipated, Yang was in better hands," said Raven before she went in the bathhouse.

Tai slumped against the wall, and sighed.

"Dad?" said a voice.

Tai turned around, and saw…

"Yang?"

"I followed you here. I don't think Ruby, and I ever saw you that mad," said Yang.

"Where do you think you got your temper from?" snorted Tai.

"Wait, Raven was right?" asked Yang.

"Heard all that, did you?" asked Tai, "Yeah… She usually is. Your mother… well, both of your mothers, were the smart ones of the team. Raven though was very objective, saw things and situations for what they were. She could always make the tough call, even if the rest of us, especially Summer, didn't like it."

"I bet there were fights between the two of them," asked Yang.

"There were a few, but unless it was an extreme circumstance, Summer more or less welcomed Raven's suggestions and advice," said Tai.

"Why?" asked Yang, "If Raven thought, and did differently, then-"

"Summer was open minded," said Tai suddenly, "Perspective, and personality-wise, she and Raven were almost polar opposites. However, as crude as Raven may have put things, Summer saw the value of having someone push against her. After all, Qrow and I followed Summer's orders without question; we always believed Summer was right. Raven though was always butting heads with her. I remember this one time when Raven told Summer that sometimes the most idealistic answer isn't the best solution."

"How'd that turn out?" asked Yang, curious.

She knew he was veering onto a story, but she could understand her dad's need to not think about the heavy truths they had just learned at the moment. Besides, it wasn't often her dad talked about his school days, for obvious reasons.

"We went with Summer's plan, and we failed the mission badly. Afterward, Summer usually turned to Raven for advice, especially with tough calls. She would reconcile the plans to balance things out, and as a result, our performance improved from that point on. Eventually, we got to be the best team."

"Just like what Uncle Qrow said," said Yang.

"Yeah… Though, I wonder now. I wasn't told about the stuff Ozpin said to us. Even Summer didn't trust me," said Tai sadly.

"Don't say that," urged Yang.

Tai looked at his daughter.

"Mom loved and trusted you, dad. As much as you loved, and trusted her," said Yang.

"Then why did she hide the truth from me?" asked Tai.

"Would you have believed that there was a war between Ozpin, and his immortal, pissed off ex-wife? I mean… I'm still reeling from hearing Ozpin's story," said Yang.

Tai blinked a little, and chuckled.

"Well… When you put it that way," said Ta.

"Besides, Ozpin told us now," said Yang.

"Under duress," said Tai.

"I didn't say everything's cool, but even so, he told us now," said Yang.

"…I suppose. That doesn't mean I trust him, though," said Tai, "Ozpin will have to be more forthcoming with anything regarding Salem from now on if I'm going to start trusting him again."

"I think he knows that," said Yang, "Speaking of trust, though… Do you really trust Raven's version of events? About her rescuing Summer, I mean?"

"Honestly? I do," said Tai.

Yang cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't get me wrong, Raven can lie very well, especially with lies of omission. However, I know her well enough. And when it comes to Summer, well, it was one of those relationships where they were like oil and water, but respected one another. Raven wouldn't easily lie about a person she wholeheartedly respects, and those people could be counted on one hand," said Tai.

"She ditched you, me, and Uncle Qrow," pointed out Yang.

"And we had Summer's body to bury," said Tai.

Yang went quiet, as the memory of her dad crying that fateful night returned to her.

"I guess… Ugh, why does she have to be so complicated?" balked Yang.

"I thought that myself ever since I met her. I still don't have an answer, and neither does your uncle," sighed Tai.

"Well… whatever. Anyway, there's another reason I came here," said Yang.

"What is it?" asked Tai.

"Apparently, Penny just thought of something, and insisted I get you, and Raven," said Yang.

"Good luck with you mom. She's in the bath right now, and then she'll have to do her hair. Just like someone else I know."

"…Shit, we'll be here for half an hour. At least," said Yang as she paled at the thought.

"Now you'll know how me, and Ruby feel when you get to the shower first," said Tai.

 **xXxXx**

Terra opened the door to her townhouse, and saw something that cocked her eyebrow in amusement.

"Flower petals… scented candles… the lights off…" said Terra before she smiled, "So corny."

There was an obvious trail of petals and candles leading to the upstairs bedroom.

"Terra… Is that you?" said a voice.

"Oh, it's me," said Terra flirtatiously.

"C-Can you help me with something…?" responded Saffron meekly.

Terra rolled her eyes, as she put her bag down, and she hung her coat.

"Let me guess…" began Terra in a sing-song voice as she went up the stairs excitedly, "You need help taking off your lingerie?"

Terra opened the door, and blinked owlishly.

The bed was wet, and red with a strong alcohol smell emanating. There was also a ruined tray of food.

"Umm… Did you spill red wine on the bed, babe?" asked Terra.

"I was going to air the red for tonight after dinner, but… well, cork-troubles," said Saffron sheepishly.

"Dry cork?" asked Terra.

"Dry cork, a stuck corkscrew, and a slip of my hands," said Saffron as she raised her wine stained arms, "Do you think you could get some paper towels?"

Terra smiled.

"Now why would I do that?" asked, no, purred Terra.

"Um… Terra?" gulped Saffron.

Terra stalked over to her wife, and grasped a hand around Saffron's wrist.

"I have a better way to clean you up…" whispered Terra, as she licked her lips.

"B-But our reservation…?" protested Saffron half-heartedly.

"Oh, so only you get to be the naughty girl?" scolded Terra playfully

Terra smiled at the sight of her wife shuddering as she brought Saffron's wine stained hands to her mouth, and licked.

"We'll make the reservation, babe. But first, I need to punish you for messing up the bed, and sending naughty pictures."

 **xXxXx**

Raven blinked in stunned surprise. It wasn't often that something, or someone, could make her speechless. However, she was now very pleased that she decided to indulge Yang's insistence to have herself and Tai follow her back to the others after her bath.

"What did you just say?" asked Ozpin.

"I said I may have an idea of how to best Salem, and thwart her nefarious plans for our world," said Penny.

The sight of Ozpin – cool and collected at all times, Ozpin, acting like a fish out of water was certainly worth it.

"Well, this isn't what I was expectin' to h-hear," slurred Qrow, drunk.

'How much did he drink?' wondered Raven, before she shrugged, "Alright then, let's hear it."

"Mr. Ozpin," began Penny, "The relic's construct dictated that you could not destroy Salem, correct?"

"…Yes, that is correct," said Ozpin in an interested voice.

"That was what she literally said? Word for word?" pressed Penny.

"Yes, word for word," said Ozpin.

"In that case, the solution is simple," said Penny, "If _you_ cannot defeat Miss Salem, then someone else can."

Ozpin's eyes widened.

Ruby, and her team looked uncertain.

Coco, and Velvet looked at each other.

Pyrrha, and the rest of JNPR blinked.

Ilia, Winter, the Belladonnas, Tai Yang, Ironwood, and Glynda's jaws dropped.

"Isn't that a little…" began Sun, trying to find the word.

"Simple?" supplied Qrow.

"Stupid," scoffed Cinder.

"Obvious?" said Amber.

"You can't be serious," said Ozpin.

Penny's head tilted in thought.

"Is something wrong with what I stated?" asked Penny.

"No…" said Ghira, "It's just…"

"It's too… too simple," said Ozpin.

"Not conniving, or complicated enough for you?" asked Raven with a smirk.

Ozpin growled. However, the more he thought about it, Ozpin really felt like hitting himself. Jinn… Jinn was a jinn: a spirit that was as unpredictable as they were powerful. While she might have been bound by the God of Light to answer his questions, that didn't mean she had to be clear with the answer.

" _How do I destroy Salem?"_ asked Ozpin, from so long ago.

" _You can't,"_ was Jinn's answer.

He had been so stunned by the answer that he didn't think to wonder if there was any nuance to it.

Ozpin slapped his own forehead.

"…Stupid. I feel so stupid," mumbled Ozpin.

"How ironic. You fell for your own MO, while the most innocent person here might have found a loophole" laughed Raven.

Archie laughed, which drew a number of stares.

"Now you're getting there," said Archie.

"Did you know about this, Archie? About Jinn's answer?" asked Glynda.

"Of course I knew. You've seen potential futures, haven't you? Well, I've seen more. Jaune often learns the truth of Salem through Ruby."

"Me?" asked Ruby in shock.

"In several futures, you often ask Jinn the question that concerns Salem, or Ozpin's nature. The truth is always shocking, and in certain circumstances, heartbreaking. Given the emotional roller coasters some of these universes can be, I withheld the information. As my guests, it is my goal to make sure I don't intentionally traumatize you with the viewings, or revealing information that is not mine to give," said Archie.

The audience seemed satisfied by the answer, as well as worried. Would they see those universes as well?

"Ozpin, now that you know the nature of Jinn's answer, and now that they know, perhaps more minds working together can find the answer you seek."

"Assuming they're willing to help," said Ozpin.

"I'll help," said Penny.

Ozpin looked at the automaton turned human.

"Penny?" asked Ironwood.

"I was created to protect humanity! Besides, I want to learn more about the world I was built to protect. I can't do that if the world is destroyed," said Penny.

"That's right," said Pyrrha, "We're huntsmen, and huntresses in training. Now that we know there's such a threat out there, we can't just avoid it."

"Yeah! This is way too big for us to just forget about," agreed Sun.

Coco, Velvet, and Winter nodded in agreement.

"I'll help too!" added Ruby.

"Ruby?" asked Tai.

"Mom fought to help Ozpin. I want to finish what she started," said Ruby.

"Kid… You have no idea what you're getting into," said Qrow.

"Did you when the topic first came up?" replied Yang.

Qrow, and Raven looked away, the former rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"No, it's too dangerous," added Tai.

"So are _you_ going to help?" asked Yang, "I mean, Uncle Qrow's already nodding off, and it's only 10 in the morning. Raven went AWOL, and I can kind of understand why?"

"It's not that simple," said Qrow.

"It's foolish, is what it is," said Raven in agreement.

"And ignoring the problem is somehow going to help?" asked Weiss.

"It's better than joining a sinking ship," said Raven.

"Then perhaps it's best to plug the holes," said Ozpin.

Everyone turned to the headmaster.

"Everyone, or rather, everyone who's followed me in my fight… I'm sorry," said Ozpin.

James, Glynda, Qrow, and Amber looked at Ozpin in surprise.

"Even you, Raven," said Ozpin.

Raven's jaw fell.

"I… I didn't say the full story because I was afraid. Afraid that if you learned the full truth, you would never help me. It wouldn't have been the first time I was abandoned," said Ozpin.

"Were there others who learned the truth afterward?" asked Weiss.

"There were," confirmed Ozpin, "Their reactions were… predictable."

"That's probably an understatement," said Mercury.

"Quite. At first I told the whole truth, but who wants to face an enemy that cannot be bested in strength of arms? Afterwards, I became more selective with the information," admitted Ozpin.

"How do we know you're telling us the full story now?" asked Blake.

Ozpin looked at Blake with a knowing smile. Blake flinched a little, finding an irony in her skepticism, but Ozpin didn't point it out.

"I suppose that is up to all of you to believe if what I say now is the full truth. I can insist, but your trust in me is currently rattled," said Ozpin.

Amber approached Ozpin.

"I just want to know one thing," said Amber.

"…What is it?" asked Ozpin.

Amber looked Ozpin in the eye.

"What was I to you?" asked Amber.

"Pardon?" asked Ozpin, surprised by the question.

"Was I just some means to an end? A key to be kept hidden from Salem?" asked Amber.

"…You were someone I could trust with the task I gave you, as well as someone who would use the powers wisely," said Ozpin.

"And now? Now that I'm half-dead?" asked Amber.

"Someone I must keep safe, and protect until a worthy successor comes along," said Ozpin.

"…So now that I am no longer of use, you'll just pick a successor?" asked Amber, a little hurt.

"I'm sorry, but yes," said Ozpin.

There was a collective gasp. Even Cinder seemed stunned by the blunt answer from Ozpin.

"Shit… Oz, _hic_ , you could have said you did everything in your power to save her before laying it on like that," said Qrow.

"She wants the full truth, Qrow. I have no intention of lying to her now, especially when she has lost so much as a result of her task. That applies to all of you who followed me. Take it as a show of my sincerity," said Ozpin.

Ironwood, and Glynda looked at one another, Qrow took another swig, and Raven cocked an eyebrow. Amber looked sad, but her body and posture relaxed.

"I see…" said Amber calmly, "Thanks for you honesty, I suppose."

Amber walked toward Raven, and she sat down next to her. Raven's brow twitched.

"You couldn't pick anywhere else to sit?" asked Raven, a little annoyed.

"I feel comfortable around you, sister," said Amber calmly.

Raven coughed at the title. Qrow nearly spat out his drink. Tai, and Yang's jaws dropped at the same time.

"S-Sister?!" balked Raven.

"You are a Maiden as well, aren't you?" asked Amber, "Maybe it's your possession of the powers, and the fact I don't know you that makes me feel comfortable around you."

Raven muttered several curses.

"…Fine. Just keep the noise level down, and don't call me 'sister.' That'll just tick me off," said Raven.

Amber nodded.

"Now is there anything else you need before we continue?" asked Archie.

"Maybe another couple of minutes to process?" asked Kali.

"Five minutes, then?" suggested Archie.

CLAK!

The door swung open, and everyone turned.

They all blushed at the sight.

Two beautiful women entered the room. One was a blonde in blue lingerie, and the other was a tan brunette in tight jeans, red glasses, and a light blue dress shirt. Both though were making out, and digging their hands into one another's hair. The girl with dark skin kneaded the blonde's breast.

"Ooh, Terra!" the blonde moaned in ecstasy.

Everyone, especially Ilia and the boys, blushed, and felt blood trickle down their noses.

"…This is real, right?" asked Sun, both in fear and excitement.

Suddenly the girls stopped, and looked in their direction.

"Um… Babe, is this our bathroom?" asked the blonde.

The dark skinned woman blinked took off her glasses, and put them back on.

"What the fuck?!" gasped the girl, as she and the blonde separated.

"It ain't real anymore, that's for sure," said Qrow, disappointed.

The boys, and Ilia let out a whine in disappointment.

"Of all the people Lord Aeon could bring in, and during such an intimate moment. The current incarnation of Lord Aeon is truly unpredictable," shuddered Archie.

The girl with tan skin pulled out a bottle of mace from her back pocket.

"Who the fuck are you people?! What are you doing in our house?!"

 **A/N:**

 **A lot of ground to cover. I would have done more, but we'd have a two-chapter intermission… Maybe not the worst idea, but it wasn't something I was willing to do. I just hope it doesn't feel rushed, or forced in some areas.**

 **Anyways, Terra and Saffron are in now. I debated throwing in Roman, and Neo, but I think I'm at the limit to how many reactions I can write effectively. This may be the full cast.**

 **It might seem strange that the RWBY, and the other students are gung ho about helping Ozpin after learning the truth. However, my reasoning for this is that is because they never went through the Fall of Beacon. They didn't lose Pyrrha, they didn't suffer from a team breakup, and they didn't feel that sense of powerlessness in the aftermath of it all. As such, I felt that they wouldn't have gone through all the angst in Volumes 4, 5, and 6 when they learned about Salem.**

 **Hopefully this makes sense, and I can make the revelation work with the rest of the story.**

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The scene with Jaune in this chapter is the same scene from the start of the story. As I stated in Chapter 1, time in the Archive flows differently.**

 **Jinn's name is actually a reference to jinn spirits in Arabian folklore. There are many stories that describe them as mischievous spirits, or fallen angels. Think on that the next time you watch** _ **Aladdin**_ **.**

 **In regards to Tai knowing or not, I'm not entirely sure. I'm sure the other three knew, but I don't think Tai ever learned the truth, or rather the full truth, about the missions, that Summer, Qrow, and Raven took, as implied by the show.**


	41. Reconciliation

**So a part of the reason for the occasional slow update periods is that I've been getting into Korean dramas. I also discovered the anime section on Hulu. For reaction research purposes, or course. Anyway, here's a nice little K-drama that is just outright hilarious to me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **RWBY**_ **. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth. I also do not own** _ **The Fiery Priest**_ **. It is the property of Samhwa Networks, and SBS.**

 **Chapter 41 – Reconciliation**

One magical wardrobe change for Saffron, and an extremely awkward conversation with new arrivals later…

"Stop that, dear. Your face will hurt, and get all red," said Terra.

"This isn't a dream… I seriously almost had sex in front of my brother's team. This must be karma for all the years of teasing!" cried Saffron as she pinched her cheeks. Again.

"That's what you're worried about? Not the fact that we're in another dimension with a weirdo that has videos of your brother?" asked Terra.

Nearby, Archie twitched.

"Did she have to say it like that?" grumbled Archie.

"It is kind of true," responded a nearby Velvet.

"Don't say that! Now I'm getting more scared!" protested Saffron.

Terra shook her head at her wife's rather dramatic interpretation of events.

"Well, it's certainly not how I was planning to spend our anniversary, that's for sure," said Terra.

Jaune's team then approached in an attempt to make the new duo comfortable.

"Hi we're Jaune's team from Beacon. I'm Nora, that's Pyrrha, and this is Ren. Soo… You're our fearless leader's older sister?" asked Nora in an attempt to break the ice.

Saffron was still lost in her own little world, and Terra gently nudged her.

"Yes, I am! I'm Saffron! Ha ha ha!" said Saffron a little too cheerfully.

"Talk about a 180," said Yang.

"Forcing it, dear," said Terra.

Saffron elbowed her wife.

"I'm trying to forget we were having hot anniversary sex in front of my brother's friends, thank you very much!" shouted Saffron.

"I don't think we'll be forgetting anytime soon," said Qrow, who got a slap up the head from Glynda, Winter, and Ironwood.

"Ooh, I'm so embarrassed!" shuddered Saffron in embarrassment.

"Um… So, are you the oldest sister?" asked Pyrrha, in an attempt to comfort Jaune's oldest sister.

"…She is," said Terra, who noticed her despondent wife not respond.

"I thought Jaune said the name of his oldest sister was Madeline," said Ruby.

Suddenly, Saffron twitched, and she rounded to Ruby with an intense gaze.

"…What did my brother say?" asked Saffron in a level voice.

Ruby saw Terra wave her arms in a negative, but the gaze from Saffron was much too frightening for Ruby to notice. Even Weiss, and Winter seemed to fidget at the sight of the neutral expression.

"…That your name was Madeline?" answered Ruby nervously.

Saffron's eyes darkened further, and the sight made Ruby go cold

"THAT DWEEB! He's still telling people that stupid nickname?!" roared Saffron.

"N-Nickname?" asked Yang.

"She spilled madeline cookie batter all over herself when she was younger, and it stuck. My in-laws sometimes call her that to tease. I think it's cute," said Terra.

"It's not cute! I swear, the next time I see him, Jaune's getting all the noogies!" said Saffron as she cracked her knuckles.

"I don't think those are for noogies," said Ghira with a sweat.

"Nope, they're for beat downs. Remember when you met dad?" asked Kali with smile.

"How could I forget?" shuddered Ghira as he remembered his late father-in-law.

"No, don't noogie fearless leader! I'm sure he'll apologize," begged Nora.

"…You're right, noogies aren't the answer," sighed Saffron.

Jaune's team sighed in relief.

"Embarrassing photos though…" cackled Saffron, "Fufufu… So many dresses."

RWBY, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren remembered the dance, and tensed a little, though Pyrrha, Yang, and Weiss did get interested.

"Wait, so the dance wasn't the first time he wore a dress?" asked Sun.

"Oh no…" chuckled Saffron, who then blinked, "Wait, he wore a dress again? Do you have any pictures?"

"Babe, no," warned Terra.

"B-But Terra…" Saffron's eyes watered.

"No," sighed Terra, "Jaune's not five, and innocent anymore. He's a grown man who shouldn't be wearing dresses… Unless he's into that kind of thing. Besides, he already has girl problems, and I don't think you should hurt his chances even further."

"It was cute," defended Saffron, who then donned a huffy expression, "And are you suggesting I am the reason my brother has such a hard time with girls.

"Yeah, along with your sisters, and your mom," said Terra with all the bluntness of a hammer, "And I know he only did it because he knew that his bossy sisters found it 'cute,' and would only leave him be after they were placated."

"Sounds rough," said Ren.

"It was, according to him," said Terra, "However, the real problem was that since he really only knew how to deal with bossy girls, they were the only ones he ever noticed. Which caused another problem because Jaune's sisters, despite the teasing, are super protective of him, and kept him away from them."

All of Jaune's friends immediately looked at Weiss. Weiss for her part looked down at her feet as an embarrassed flush appeared on her face.

"I'm not that bossy, am I?" asked Weiss.

"Well…" began Ruby.

"Kind of?" suggested Blake.

"Definitely," said Yang.

Terra noticed, and looked to Weiss.

"Wait… White hair like snow, and crystal blue eyes… You're the Schnee girl he told me about?" asked Terra.

"Um, yes?" said Weiss, a little nervously.

She was in front of the relatives of a boy she routinely, and at times, harshly rejected after all.

"Let me guess… He tried to hit on you, and you said 'no,' but he wouldn't let up?" asked Terra.

"…Yes," said Weiss, who recalled the memories of Jaune's early courtship. Best to be honest, "No matter how often I told him I wasn't interested, he wouldn't budge. Fortunately for us both, he figured it out recently, apologized, and now we've started over as acquaintances."

"You rejected my brother?! Bi – Mmph!"

Terra covered Saffron's mouth.

"Well, that's a relief. I was starting to think my brother-in-law was a creeper, but I'm glad he didn't do anything untoward," sighed Terra in relief, "Please forgive him, in light of him figuring things out on his own."

"I already have," said Weiss.

Terra nodded happily with a thankful bow, and Weiss reciprocated. Saffron huffed at the sight, but decided to drop it, since there was no bad blood between the Schnee and her brother.

"…Another thing Jaune confided in you, Terra?" asked Saffron, in irritation, "He never told me he found a girl!"

"Because you'd tease him till the end of time," said Terra.

"Of course, but I would have helped afterward!" said Saffron.

Terra rolled her eyes.

"Jaune confides in you?" asked Blake.

"Yep," said Terra, delighted in the change in topic, "I grew up in family of boys; five brothers. I knew the struggle. I give him an ear to vent to once in a while."

"It's part of why we hit it off well too," said Saffron a little calmer, "Anyone who could make by baby brother feel comfortable is good in my book."

"Oh? You mean it wasn't my gorgeous personality?" asked Terra.

"Oh it was, among other things," said Saffron.

"Do tell…" teased Terra.

The boys, and Ilia nodded along in agreement.

"Ahem…" Blake cleared her throat.

Terra, and Saffron remembered where they were, and stepped back from one another. Ilia, and the boys grumbled in disappointment.

"So, you're Jaune's team? Sorry for not paying attention earlier, I was kind of taking all of this in," asked Saffron, "It's Pyrrhra, Nora, and Ren, right?"

"Yes," said Pyrrha as she nodded.

"Pyrrha… Oh, I remember you. You're a hometown hero back in Argus," said Terra.

"Oh, you're from Argus?" asked Pyrrha politely.

"Yep… But we don't really watch the tournaments. Saffron's family was never too big on them. They believed it gave the wrong idea as to how a hunter should use their talents. I only know about you because it was on the news," said Terra.

Pyrrha sighed in relief.

"Say, Pyrrha, you're my brother's partner, right?" asked Saffron.

"Um, yes, I am," said Pyrrha shyly.

"Oh, wow, my brother would talk about his team through letters. He wrote so much about you. You're so much more beautiful than I imagined. And this is after all gushy descriptions he wrote about you," said Saffron.

"B-Beautiful? He wrote that about me?" asked Pyrrha excitedly.

"Yes, it's always 'Pyrrha this,' and 'Pyrrha that…" continued Saffron.

Pyrrha stood a little straighter, and more confidently. Nora, and Ren even, gave her a thumbs up. Furthermore, as unbecoming as it seemed, the champion felt a little smug when she noticed Velvet, and Yang grumble.

"He said it was like having another big sis! I got so jealous when he wrote that," finished Saffron.

Immediately the wind left Pyrrha's sails, and her posture and smile seemed much more wooden.

"Another big sis…?" asked Pyrrha.

"I know. He's such a tease," said Saffron, oblivious to Pyrrha's reaction.

"Friend zoned," snickered Yang.

Velvet chuckled a little, which got glares from Ren and Nora.

Terra immediately frowned, and ribbed her wife. Saffron looked at Terra, who nodded to Pyrrha. Saffron looked to Pyrrha, and it all clicked into place.

"Ooh? Could it be you wanted him to think of you as something more?" said Saffron slyly.

"W-What? I-I-I… never said-" stammered Pyrrha.

"Ahem…"

Pyrrha turned to her savior Archie, who had a tray of…

"For you two. You must be hungry," continued Archie, who turned, and nodded to Pyrrha in understanding.

Pyrrha took the chance to return to her seat, with Ren and Nora behind her.

"Cheese, and crackers? My favorites, too," said Saffron.

"Mine as well. How did you know?" asked Terra.

"I am Jaune's archivist. I've seen, and experienced his life enough to know what you like," said Archie.

"Creepy…" muttered Terra.

Archie's head fell.

"Neat. It's hard to believe such a place exists," said Saffron.

"Despite your earlier disbelief, you're taking it better than most who come here," said Archie.

"I strangely feel at ease around you. I can't explain it, but I feel safe around you. Almost like you're family somehow. Weird, right?" asked Saffron.

"…Um, yes, weird," mumbled Archie shyly.

Ruby, who remembered Archie's face from when Cinder first arrived, paid special attention to the conversation.

'So… could Archie really be Jaune? No that's silly, Archie has super godly magic powers. Not to mention he's a lot more serious than Jaune. Who is he?' Ruby thought to herself.

"Anyway, I requested some new volumes," said Archie.

"Why not just finish the last universe we were on. There's only one volume left?" asked Velvet.

"Because I don't want to overload the VHS so soon. Besides, there are other universes out there. I'm sure some of you would want a break from heavy content, especially given what the rest of you learned today. Besides, I kind of want to showcase other universes for now, and demonstrate to Terra and Saffron just how different Jaune can be in the multiverse," said Archie.

"Fair enough," said Ren.

"So, what have we got next?" asked Sun.

"Jaune as a priest," said Archie as he slipped in a volume.

"Ooh, this should be interesting," said Saffron.

The lights went dark, and the screen lit up.

…

 **Jaune dressed in black pants, a clerical shirt with a collarino, and a long black coat walked down the aisle of the church, the bell tower began to toll at sunrise. The light hit the stainglass windows, which illuminated the inside with the glasses' vivid colors with a slight, red hue.**

 **Jaune approached the altar, and before it was a small open briefcase that he had laid there the night before. He stood before it, looked upon the cross, and made the sign of the cross.**

"Hey… I recognize that," said Ren.

"Yeah, the first universe we saw. Port was a bishop… priest guy in that one. He did the same gestures," said Nora.

"Peter Port, a man of the cloth?" asked Ozpin.

"That man is anything but humble," said Glynda.

"He's so boring," grumbled Mercury.

"I almost broke cover in that guy's class," said Emerald.

Cinder did not reprimand Emerald because to be honest, she almost did as well.

 **Jaune saw the contents of the open case: a golden chalice, a flask of holy water, a golden cross, and a leather bound bible. He closed the case, secured the latches, and walked out the door with purpose as his steps echoed hauntingly through the halls.**

 **The scene suddenly changed. Down a hill by the river that ran through a city, drums, and cymbals were being struck, and clarinets blared about as a shaman in a colorful costume danced around before a shrine. In front of the shrine was a Korean man in a track suit squirming unnaturally, and growling like a wounded animal.**

"What's wrong with that guy?" asked Sun.

"The man is possessed," said Archie.

"Possessed? By what?" asked Ghira.

"A demon," said Ozpin.

"A demon?" asked Penny.

"In the days of the gods, priests would save souls possessed and tormented by demons, usually Geists, with ceremonies, rites, and light-oriented spells. This man appears to be one such case," said Ozpin.

 **The shaman danced toward the possessed man, and drew out a pair of dull knives. He then struck the young man. The demon within roared in defiance.**

 **The man struck again, and behind the behind the poor man was his worried mother rubbing her hands, and begging the gods for mercy.**

"That poor woman," said Saffron.

"It must be gut wrenching to see her son in such a state," said Terra in agreement.

"We'd probably be worse," said Saffron, "We don't have priests these days."

"Don't think on it, hon," said Terra.

 **The shaman then threw salt at the man's face, before two flags appeared in his hands. He used the flags in the same way as knives before he returned to the shrine, and danced some more. After a spin, the shaman raised his flags, and the music stopped. The shaman looked at the still-possessed man, and sneered in disgust.**

" _ **How dare you!"**_ **declared the shaman with an accusing finger,** _ **"How dare such a loutish evil spirit throw a fit in this town!"**_

"Subtitles?" asked Sun

"What language is that?" asked Nora.

"That is a language called Korean in this universe," said Archie, "In the first universe, humanity is incredibly diverse, and many ethnic groups have retained their traditional languages, and customs."

"So this is the first universe?" asked Ironwood.

"You've the first universe several times before, albeit in one its different parallels. For instance, the first universe that Teams RWBY and JNPR saw had faunus in that version, and the one universe with the Covenant did not," said Archie.

Most of them nodded in understanding.

 **The possessed man roared at the shaman, and the shaman responded by whacking the man's chest with his flags.**

" _ **You not only hurt the elders of this town by harassing them, but you also went inside the body of the first son who has to carry the family line. You're making so much trouble!"**_ **accused the shaman.**

 **The shaman struck the man on the altar with his flags again. At once, the man's mother approached, and wept for her son.**

" _ **My goodness, what's happening to my son?!"**_ **she wailed to the shaman,** _ **"How can I save him? What should I do?"**_

 **The man roared at the shaman.**

" _ **He's a shameless evil spirit,"**_ **said the shaman.**

" _ **What did it say?"**_ **asked the mother.**

" _ **He said that if you paid him enough money to travel, he would leave,"**_ **said the shaman, who then looked down at the man,** _ **"Are you sure you will?"**_

 **The man growled.**

"Hang on… Those sneaky bastards," said Emerald.

"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Ilia.

"Give money, or I won't leave? It's a scam," scoffed Emerald.

"I'm surprised you care," said Mercury.

"I don't, personally," said Emerald.

"What a surprise," said Coco.

" _ **Please wait,"**_ **said the mother as she fished for her wallet.**

 **Immediately, everyone began to go through the pockets, or purses. Immediately, two suits appeared with baskets. They wore black suits, and fedoras with red shades, and red ties.**

"Those are Junior's goons," said Yang.

"The guy with the hot twins?" asked Mercury.

"Of course that's how you'd remember that place," said Emerald.

"The drinks sucked," shrugged Mercury.

"They really did," said Cinder.

" _ **Over here. Put your money over here,"**_ **the both said.**

 **As everyone did, the shaman smiled in glee.**

"That's so… ugh!" growled Nora in rage.

"Yeah, those people worked hard for their money! How dare they take advantage of them," cursed out Coco.

" _ **Hold that thought!"**_

 **The shaman looked in the direction of the voice, and his smile fell apart. A blonde man in a black clerical clothes with a collarino, and a black coat strode onto the scene.**

" _ **F-Father Arc?"**_ **gasped the shaman.**

"Father?" asked Velvet.

"The formal title of a priest of the Supreme One, at least in the Catholic school of worship. There are many titles for the priests, and schools of worship for the Supreme One," explained Archie.

Everyone nodded.

 **Jaune gave the shaman an evil smile, and he pointed at him.**

"Looks like Jaune knows the guy," said Blake.

"And what he's up to it, seems," added Weiss.

"Does anyone else find that smile of his scary?" asked Ruby.

"It's like Saff's when she's pissed," said Terra.

"I don't smile like that," protested Saffron.

 **He took a step down the hill toward the altar, and tripped.**

Everyone snorted a little.

 **Jaune caught himself before he fell, and hissed at the stone he tripped on.**

" **They should pull out that huge rock, I could have been hurt. How annoying!" grumbled Jaune in English.**

"For a priest he doesn't seem very… austere," said Amber.

"He looks angry," said Ilia.

"Those jerks are scamming old folks. Why shouldn't he be angry?" asked Sun.

"No, she's right. There's something off about Mr. Arc in this universe," said Ghira.

 **Jaune brushed past some hanging flags from the shaman's altar, and muscled his way into the area.**

" _ **F-Father Arc, I'll take care of this?" said the shaman desperately.**_

" _ **Why is my briefcase so heavy?" Jaune asked suddenly.**_

"Jaune can speak Korean?" asked Kali.

"Yes. He had a missionary position in Korea," said Archie.

"Missionary position?" snorted Mercury with a dirty smile.

That got some of the people to chuckle a little, and others, who figured out the joke, to blush and balk.

"No, not that kind of 'missionary.' I forget that Remnant these days doesn't have much in the way of organized religion. Missionary refers to evangelization, or spreading the religious teaches to others around the world," said Archie, "Jaune spent years in Korea teaching about his faith with others."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," said Pyrrha who calmed herself from the dirty joke.

"So, what did Mercury mean?" asked Ruby.

"Yes, I am confused as well," said Penny.

Yang, Tai, and Ironwood began to sweat.

Yang, and Tai knew Ruby was given the talk, but they didn't get detailed with sex positions. As for Penny, Professor Polendina did not include it in the programming.

"It's not important now," said Archie.

Ruby huffed, and Penny shrugged.

 **He lifted it up, and slammed in near the feet of the possessed man, who scooted it out of the way in time. Jaune opened it up to reveal his divine instruments.**

" _ **This evil spirit won't go away with a Catholic exorcism,"**_ **insisted the shaman.**

" _ **He's right, Father Arc,"**_ **said the mother in a worried manner,** _ **"Shaman Chundong here will get rid of…"**_

" _ **Ma'am, your son is just dirty. He's not possessed,"**_ **interrupted Jaune rudely.**

" _ **Eh?"**_ **gasped the mother.**

" _ **If you're so confident, you give it a go! The evil spirit within him is a very strong one,"**_ **declared the shaman.**

 **Jaune simply lifted the casing of his brief case, and the contents beneath made the shaman gulp.**

" _ **What are these?"**_ **asked the shaman.**

 **Jaune pulled out a stun gun for all to see, and the possessed man looked warily at it. Jaune looked at him, and smiled.**

" _ **Grooh?"**_ **the possessed man gulped.**

"Ooh… This is going to be good," said Nora manically.

Everyone thought so too, though some were more discreet than others.

 **However, Jaune put it back, and instead pulled out duct tape. He lifted the man's track pants to reveal hairy legs before he tore off two long pieces of tape. He slapped them onto the man's leg nice, and tight.**

"That's…" snorted Tai, "Poor guy. Look at all that hair on his leg."

" _ **Dear leader of all the angels, St. Michael the Archangel, please protect us in the fight against violence, and power,"**_ **said Jaune before he pulled on one of the strips.**

" _ **OOOOWWW!"**_ **cried the possessed man in pain.**

All the guy's winced, but the girls began to giggle. Emerald, Coco, and Ilia though began to crack up.

 **Jaune looked at the hairy end of the tape, and cringed before he reached for the other strip.**

" _ **Protect us from the fight against the evil spirits under the sun,"**_ **continued Jaune.**

 **RRRIIIPPP went another hair laden strip of tape.**

" _ **GGGYYYYYAAHHH! Gosh, it really hurts,"**_ **cried the possessed man.**

"Definitely a scam now," said Winter.

"He's starting to crack," said Kali.

"He won't last long," snorted Cinder.

"I almost feel sorry for the jerk," said Sun.

 _ **Jaune looked at the shaman knowingly, but the shaman tried really hard not to look Jaune in the eye. Instead Jaune saw the man on the altar whimper.**_

" _ **What's that? Are you crying?"**_ **asked Jaune with false concern,** _ **"Are you hurt?"**_

 **The man sniffled, and shook his head.**

" _ **Alright,"**_ **said Jaune with an excited smile.**

"I know that don't know how I feel about Jaune. He almost looks excited to be doing this," said Ruby a little uncomfortably.

"I know what you mean. He seems pretty sadistic," said Pyrrha.

 **Jaune put the tape away, and pulled out a cylinder from the briefcase. He gave it a flick, and the cylinder extended into a police nightstick.**

" _ **If you bear the pain after I hit your shin, and the back of your hand 20 times, then you'll have passed the second test,"**_ **said Jaune threateningly.**

"Okay, now this is turning into torture," said Ironwood with a gulp.

"Is this any way for priest to behave?" asked Weiss in shock.

It had been funny at first, now Jaune was just outright scary.

"Technically, no. However, Jaune isn't an ordinary priest," said Archie.

 **The man shook his head, but Jaune closed his eyes in prayer.**

" _ **It is my earnest hope for Satan to stop possessing humans, and harming the church,"**_ **said Jaune solemnly.**

 **Jaune lifted his nightstick high, and-**

" _ **I'm okay, Father Arc,"**_ **said the man suddenly.**

 **Jaune stopped, and the onlookers stepped back as the man propped himself up to show he was fine.**

" _ **I think the evil spirit is gone,"**_ **finished the man.**

"Looks like the jig is up," said Qrow.

"Being about to get hit 21 times like that would make most people break," said Kali.

 **Jaune leaned forward, and looked at the man skeptically.**

" _ **Seeing your complexion, it's still in you,"**_ **said Jaune.**

 **The man shook his head, sat upright immediately, and did shoulder stretches.**

" _ **I-It's really gone,"**_ **insisted the man as he stretched.**

"What a pussy," said Emerald, "Don't do the scam if you're too damn scared of the consequences."

"That's one lesson to take from his, I suppose," said Ghira uncertainly.

 **Jaune shook his head in disappointment. He saw the shaman mutter curses out of the corner of his eye, but the mother of the formerly "possessed" man interrupted his observations.**

" _ **What on earth happened?"**_ **asked the mother with a skeptical look on her face.**

 **The man looked at the shaman.**

" _ **Cheol Yong told me that-"**_

 **The shaman covered the man's mouth.**

" _ **The evil spirit is still in there,"**_ **said the shaman.**

 **The man though broke free from the hold, and Jaune noted the pissed off expression on the mother and the other onlookers.**

" _ **I was totally fooled,"**_ **growled the mother.**

 **Jaune though looked at the "saved" man.**

" _ **Go home, and wash up. You smell like bad kimchi,"**_ **said Jaune.**

 **The man roared as if he was still possessed, but his mother slapped him on the back of his head.**

" _ **You scumbag!"**_ **scolded the mother, before she yanked his ear, and pulled him off the altar,** _ **"We're going home! Do you have any idea how frightened I was?! I even dragged the neighbors here! Now, I'm so embarrassed."**_

" _ **Ow, owowow, Ma, that hurts,"**_ **cried the man.**

" _ **You're dead meat, you jerk,"**_ **snapped the mother as she led him out of the altar area.**

"That guy's definitely getting a spanking later," said Raven.

"Isn't he a little old for that?" asked Amber.

"If I was that embarrassed in public by my child, you'd bet your ass I'd be pissed," said Raven.

"Funny, you were never around to be pissed," muttered Yang.

"Your ass should be grateful I wasn't," retorted Raven.

 **The shaman tried to slip away, but Jaune grabbed the shaman by the shoulders.**

" _ **Come here,"**_ **said Jaune.**

 **The shaman broke free though, and Jaune was immediately flanked by the two suits, who cracked their knuckles.**

" _ **Who are you guys?"**_ **asked Jaune as he backed away.**

" _ **You shouldn't have interrupted our exorcism,"**_ **said one of them.**

" _ **What were you thinking?"**_ **the other asked.**

 **One of them made to grab Jaune, but the priest intercepted by kicking him in the shin. As the first suit knelt to ease the pain, the other raised a fist to give Jaune a haymaker. However, Jaune gave a quick jab to the man's neck. The second suit flinched, and guarded his throat to protect himself. The first suit then got back up, and tried to punch Jaune, but Jaune simply sidestepped and the suit crashed into the altar. Jaune noticed a folded fan, and picked it up. The first suit pulled back from the altar, but Jaune slapped the fan across his face and sent him to the floor.**

"Did Jaune just take out two gangsters?" asked Blake.

"What kind of priest can fight two criminals?" asked Weiss, bewildered.

"One who was once part of a top secret spec ops team," said Archie.

"Arc was a soldier in this universe?" asked Winter.

"Yes. He served several tours in a region called "Iraq." After that… Well, let's just say more covert members of the military were interested in him. He later worked in covert operations, and intelligence. Two petty thugs are no match for him," explained Archie.

"And they allow him to be a priest?" asked Weiss.

"Yes. His experiences, and actions in the battlefield haunted him. A kind soul saved him from his demons, and welcomed him into the fold. The church of the Supreme One welcomes all people, especially those with troubled pasts," said Archie.

"A place for a soldier to find inner peace. It sounds nice," said Glynda.

Ironwood, and Winter nodded in approval.

"It does sound nice, but in regards to what Weiss said, is a priest supposed to act like that? Port's counterpart didn't," said Pyrrha.

"Each priest has their quirks," shrugged Archie.

 **Jaune turned to look up the hill, and waved at the now terrified shaman.**

" _ **Gosh darn it," squealed the shaman as he ran.**_

 **Jaune stopped waving, and dropped the fan before he too broke out into a run. Jaune chased down the shaman, and no matter where the shaman went, Jaune followed. Whether it was through the streets, alleys, or even the beach the two now found themselves on, Jaune was hot on his heels.**

" _ **Gosh, why's he following me?!"**_ **cried the shaman in fear.**

" _ **I'm going to kill you once I catch you!"**_ **threatened Jaune who got his second wind.**

 **The shaman tried to pick up the pace, but he tripped.**

"He's dead," said Terra.

"Definitely," added Saffron.

"Go easy on him, Jaune. He seems squishy," said Ruby.

"Maybe he'll just be maimed?" suggested Penny.

"Given the display with the 'possessed' man, that might be worse than killing him," said Coco.

 **Jaune slowed down his run, and stalked around his quarry.**

" _ **Didn't I tell you not to scam the neighborhood elders? Have you still not come to your senses?"**_ **asked Jaune.**

"Looks like it's not the first time the locals have been scammed," said Ilia.

"You know… He doesn't seem as squishy before," said Ruby.

"Should I be happy, or scared that you began to think like us so quickly?" asked Yang.

"Well, Jaune already gave a warning, and he ignored it. So it's okay," declared Ruby.

"Make sense," said Winter.

 **Jaune pinched the back of the shaman's neck, and dragged him up easily.**

" _ **Come here. Get over here,"**_ **said Jaune.**

" _ **Gosh, my neck,"**_ **winced the shaman.**

" _ **What?"**_ **asked Jaune in annoyance.**

" _ **Your nails are digging in complained,"**_ **the shaman.**

 **Jaune pinched harder in response.**

" _ **You didn't plan this alone, did you?"**_ **asked Jaune as he pulled the other man along,** _ **"Who told you to do this?"**_

" _ **R-Roman! The loan shark, Mr. Torchwick!"**_ **squealed the shaman.**

"Roman's a loan shark? What a surprise," said Cinder.

"It's a step down from his usual job," said Emerald.

"It's still sleazy," shrugged Mercury.

"Agreed," said everyone.

"…Did we all just agree with that jerk?" asked Ilia.

"Unfortunately," said Weiss.

 **Jaune walked in a factory, and ignored the forklifts and other workers. Some of them were taken aback at the sight of a priest on the floor, but they simply ignored him, lest they incur the wrath of their real boss. As Jaune got closer toward the back, he saw two tall men in the same black and red suits approach them. Unlike the ones from before though, their shades were off, and they weren't Korean.**

" **Is Torchwick inside?" asked Jaune in English.**

 **The two men immediately scowled, and stopped eating their meal.**

" **You talk very rudely for a priest," said one of the men as he got up.**

 **Jaune sized up the two of them, and noticed their aggressive posture.**

" **Brothers, please step to the side," said Jaune, almost resigned.**

" **We don't go easy on priests, pastors, or monks," barked the man.**

" **I never asked you to go easy on me," said Jaune before he walked forward.**

"Is he goading him?" gasped Saffron with worry.

"Babe, he's a former special operative. I think he can do this," said Terra.

"I know… But he's still my baby brother," said Saffron.

Terra wrapped an arm around Saffron, and patted her shoulder. Safffron leaned in, and Ilia grumbled.

"Lucky…" Ilia muttered.

" **Hey!" barked the man again.**

 **He put a hand on Jaune, and time slowed. Jaune saw the man swallow heavily, and glance toward the other man made allowed him to notice some heavy breathing.**

 **Jaune balled a fist.**

 **Jaune quickly grabbed the wrist of the man who held him, and applied force to the pressure point. The man cried out in pain, and Jaune pulled the hand away. Using momentum, he struck his fist against the man's throat, and threw him to the ground. Jaune then turned his attention to the other goon that moved against him. He deflected a blow from the gangster, and delivered a swift strike to the man's chest. He heard the man heave for air, and Jaune delivered a quick kick into his gut to drive him into some stacked pallets.**

 **Jaune was about to move when a service elevator opened nearby. There were five men in hardhats, and factory jumpsuits. The men saw him, then the downed associates. One of them got a crowbar, while the rest stretched their wrists, or cracked their knuckles. Jaune smirked, and the men charged. One of them swung a crowbar, but Jaune dodged. He grabbed two men by the throat, one in each hand, and pushed them into the service elevator as he charged. The others either followed, or backed further into the elevator before Jaune hit the "up" button and the doors closed shut.**

 **One man charged, but Jaune deflected, locked his arm, delivered a chop, and threw him into the elevator wall. Another charged to deliver an overhead strike. Jaune quickly grabbed the man by the elbow, before his other hand grabbed the attacker's shoulder. He forced the man's arm back into an odd angle that made the man cry in shock as an audible pop echoed through the tight space. Jaune then spun the man into another attacker, and then yanked him back into a third assailant as he threw his opponent aside.**

"Whoa, I don't think I can ever see my brother like that," said Saffron.

"Other universe… Wow, it's going to take a while to get used to saying that," said Terra.

"You get used to it," said Velvet.

 **A fourth attacker punched, but Jaune elbowed the gangster's arm before elbowing him in the face.**

 **One of the men jumped at him, but Jaune grabbed the attacker's shoulder and forced him into a position where he had total control over the man's arm.**

" **Ah, gosh, my arm!" stammered the man as he tried to tap out.**

 **CRACK**

" **AAAGH!" he man cried as his arm went limp.**

Everyone but Raven, and the villains winced at the action.

"That was brutal," said Yang uncomfortably.

"I'm all for breaking things, but the guy was tapping out," said Nora.

"Seriously? You go on about breaking legs, but you draw the line in tap outs?" asked Sun.

"Duh, it's all part of the code," said Nora.

"What code?" asked Weiss.

"Nora's code. Just roll with it. It will save you a lot of confusion," said Ren.

 **Jaune let the man go, kicked him across the elevator, and let him fall to the floor to cry.**

 **The door opened, and Jaune strode out victoriously. He now entered into a large cooridor, and saw a band of goons in black suits approach him. Some of them were bare handed, while others were armed with pipes and axes. All of them though had a mean look to them, and Jaune sighed.**

" **Brothers, you'll end up in Hell if you hit a priest," Jaune chuckled as he shook his head.**

"So… Is that a thing?" asked Coco.

"Depends. Some believers in the first universe take the faith seriously, while others, though faithful, have a more secular outlook," said Archie.

"I guess Mr. Arc is of the former," said Ozpin.

 **Jaune's face then turned serious.**

" **I should book a bus that's headed to Hell for all of you," said Jaune as he cracked his neck.**

 **He strode toward the oncoming threat, and one of the goons charged. The goon attacked, but Jaune caught the punch, spun and elbowed the man in the face. He returned to starting position, and a second goon punched. Jaune punched the second goon down with one hit, and this time he went on the attack. He stepped into the space of a third, armed goon, deflected the goon's hand, and delivered two punches to the guy's gut. A fourth goon with an axe approached, but Jaune caught the man's arm before the axe could hit him. He disarmed him, threw the man face first into the wall, and side stepped a fifth goon's attack with a pipe. He drove a focused strike to the fifth goon's kidneys, which brought the man to floor in pain.**

"He's extremely efficient. I'd put him at the level of our Ace Ops team," said Ironwood to Winter.

"I wonder what Operative Clover would say about that?" asked Winter.

"Mr. Clover would probably take that as a challenge, if my previous interactions indicate anything," replied Penny.

"True… He'd probably want to test his luck, so to speak," chuckled Ironwood.

 **Only two men were left now. One of them sent Jaune a punch, but Jaune's reply to that was catching the fist and popping the attacker's wrist.**

 **Jaune delivered two hit's to the man's kidney, and threw him down. The last goon went at him with a kick, but Jaune ducked and smoothly punched the side of the man's leg, just above the knee. The force sent the last goon off the ground and landed hard. Jaune was about to walk, but he noticed three goons from earlier hand gotten back up. The one with the pipe from earlier made one last attempt, but Jaune again stepped into the guy's space. He knocked the guy out with a karate chop before he moved onto the second one. He caught that man's strike, spun him into a grapple before he delivered a strike into his gut. The man's breath left him, and Jaune delivered another strike to send him down. Jaune saw the third goon come at him, and he grabbed and grappled the man. As he did he saw two more goons arrive, and Jaune used his attacker as human shield so that he could assess the situation.**

"He fights almost like my old man," said Mercury.

"You're saying that Arc is like your dad here?" asked Emerald.

"Nah. Dad would have killed them, or beat them bloody. Arc's taking it easy. The eyes though… Part of him wants to go there," said Mercury.

"The religion turned him soft then," said Cinder.

"Or it disciplined him," said Amber.

"Chiming in now, are we?" asked Cinder mockingly, "Gah!"

Amber had flared a part of her maiden powers that she still possessed, and it made the villainess buckle.

"Oops, sorry. I guess my discipline slipped for a bit," said Amber sweetly.

Raven laughed as Cinder's follower's glared at the former maiden.

 **He threw the goon he caught into one of the two, and faced the second attacker. He caught and cradled the attacker's fist under his shoulder, and lifted. A pop came from the man's shoulder as he doubled over, and Jaune kicked the goon into the wall. The other goon had gotten back up from underneath the comrade Jaune threw, and now made his attack on the priest. However, Jaune anticipated this. Jaune tilted his head to avoid the punch. Jaune then caught the man's wrist, and with his other hand, delivered a knife-hand strike toward the goon's armpit, then his neck, then with both hands on the man's wrist, Jaune threw the man into a wall.**

 **Jaune saw that they were all down for the count, and he smiled cockily in victory as he straightened out his coat.**

"All he needs now is an explosion, and some shades," said Nora.

"That would be so cool!" said Ruby, "Then he can walk away dramatically as the explosions blows his coat about."

"Why don't you throw some dancing girls, and pop music in there while you're at it? It'll complete the cheesy vibe you're trying to make," said Blake.

"Dancing girls sounds like a great idea," said Terra, which earned her a small swat from Saffron.

"I'm down for pop music," said Sun.

"That sounds sensational," said Penny.

"…Please don't take it seriously," groused Blaked.

 **Jaune walked down the corridor, until he found a small office area with many doors. He looked about until he found the door he was searching for. It had the name R. Torchwick… something, something, whatever, and he kicked it open without a second thought. There was a nice little office area behind the door. There was even a fern, or two. Although, Jaune zeroed in on a coffee table flanked by couches where he saw a tea set; one of the cups had red lipstick.**

"Please tell me he wasn't procreating," shuddered Emerald.

"Oh gods, do we really need that image in our heads?" asked Mercury with a wince.

"Gross, gross, gross," gagged Ruby.

Everyone who was familiar with Trorchwick joined Ruby's gag session shortly afterwards.

 **Jaune smirked, and took a deep breath.**

" **Roman!" called out Jaune politely, as he moved to a couch, "You should come out while I'm feeling nice. Do I need to shout for you to listen to me?"**

 **Jaune sat down, propped his legs onto the coffee table, and waited. There was no response, or movement. Jaune hung his head, and sighed.**

" **Hurry up, and come outside!" Jaune shouted.**

 **Rattle…**

 **Jaune turned, and saw… a cupboard, slide open.**

" **Huh, thought he'd be in one of the lockers," muttered Jaune as he looked to a set of lockers near him.**

 **However, it wasn't Roman. It was a Latina woman with blue stockings, a sequence skirt, and blue, shag coat. Jaune closed his eyes, trying not to think about what Roman was doing just before he showed up.**

"At least they were just hiding, and not doing… that," said Ghira.

"You mean sex, dear?" asked Kali.

Everyone groaned, or cringed.

"I was trying to avoid saying that, dear," said Ghira.

" **Gosh, it's so cramped in there," said the woman as she fished out her heels from the cupboard.**

 **The woman looked at Jaune. She blinked in shock as she saw his attire, and she made a sign of the cross.**

" **Um, would you like some coffee?" she asked shyly.**

 **Jaune just smiled, and shook his head in a "no." Jaune then politely waved his hand toward the door. The girl nodded before she faced the cupboard again.**

" **I'll be off now. I'll come back for the cups later," she told the cupboard before she scampered off in embarrassment.**

 **Jaune rounded over to the cupboard, and saw Roman come out.**

"How did they fit in there?" asked Penny, who marveled.

"She must have been on top," said Yang.

"And he survived?" asked Weiss.

"She wasn't fat, Weiss," scolded Ruby.

"I was referring to the tight space of the cupboard. Two full grown adults can't fit in there, and if they could, the lack of oxygen would probably do them in," corrected Weiss.

"The oxygen would deplete more quickly," said Penny in agreement.

" **She seems nice?" asked Jaune with too sweet a smile.**

 **He saw Roman huff as he got to his feet, and wipe down his shirt. Roman straightened his back, made his way over, and Jaune waited for Roman to explain himself.**

" **Goodness, Father. What's wrong with you? I know the Bible says it's a sin to give out private loans, but's also a form of business. Plus, I give a lot to Holy Mother Church," said Roman.**

 **Jaune slammed one of his legs on the coffee table, which knocked over a few of the woman's tea cups.**

" **I'm not here for that," said Jaune calmly.**

 **Jaune could hear Roman gulp.**

" **I heard that you were the one who told Cheol Yong to scam the elderly people in the Korean neighborhood," said Jaune.**

"… **Oh, that," said Roman as he winced a little, "I was just trying to give the Koreans a sense of home by revitalizing shamanism in the neighborhood. I know what the First Commandment says, but our city is very diverse-"**

 **Jaune struck down on the table again, and looked at Roman.**

" **Cut the nonsense," said Jaune in a level voice before he got up, and walked over to Roman, "The people from the Market District and the Koreatown are practically broke because of you. On top of that, you used the cultural beliefs of the Koreans to rob them. Need I remind you that some of those same Koreans go to my church?"**

"So that's why he's pissed," said Ilia.

"Indeed, Jaune has a strong sense of justice, and is prone vigilante behavior," said Archie.

"Wouldn't it be better to go the police?" asked Saffron.

"Not if they're in Roman's back pocket," said Archie.

"Oh," said Saffron.

"As such, Jaune believes with his special ops training, he is best suited to defend his flock," said Archie.

"He certainly is," said Ironwood.

"Does the church approve the behavior though?" asked Kali in concern.

"No. Jaune's been reprimanded several times," said Archie.

That made everyone pale.

 **Roman backed away nervously, but Jaune stalked after him.**

" **Gosh, don't be so angry," said Roman nervously, "My guys always get beaten up by you every time they try to collect. And now you're even going to beat me up?"**

 **Roman made heart hands over his chest.**

" **Forgiveness and love," said Roman as he emphasized his heart hands, "You should be doing what God told you to do."**

 **Jaune frowned, closed his eyes, and raised his hand.**

" **Wait, wait… wait a minute," said Jaune suddenly before he pointed up, "He's telling me something."**

 **Roman looked up.**

" **Uh-huh… Hmm… Mm?" mumbled Jaune.**

 **Jaune then opened his eyes, and Roman looked at him.**

" **God… just told me to beat you up," said Jaune neutrally.**

 **Roman's eyes widened as he gasped.**

 **Jaune balled a hand into a fist, and lunged at Roman. A punch to one side of the face, then the other side, then the gut, then the chest; Jaune delivered a flurry of blows that sent Roman reeling. Then Jaune wound up one final punch, stepped in, and delivered a haymaker that sent two of Roman's teeth flying.**

" **Wah-hoooh!" cried out Jaune, Bruce Lee style.**

…

The screen went black, and the lights went up.

"Soo… He made up that last part, right?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yes, Pyrrha, Jaune came up with a convoluted excuse to punch Roman," confirmed Archie with a chuckle.

"Well, Roman got beat up, so it's fine," waved off Nora.

"I guess so," chirped Ruby happily.

"We forgive you, Jaune," said Velvet.

As the rest of the audience talked about what they saw, Saffron giggled.

"Well… This is certainly more fun than what I planned for out anniversary movie," said Saffron.

"Which is?" asked Terra.

Saffron leaned into her ear, and whispered.

Blake, Kali, and Velvet immediately blushed and sputtered along with Terra.

"You okay?" asked Ghira.

"F-Fine dear…" said Kali.

 **A/N: I did some small adjustments to this so that it could take place in the U.S. I did however, keep the first part in Korean, sort of as a way of illustrating the source material.**

 **Poor Pyrrha; Jaune's other big sis. Before people start freaking out, I'm not picking on Pyrrha. I'm just trying to keep in character Jaune's general perception of Pyrrha throughout much of the first two seasons, which was largely that of a partner, and mentor-figure. We didn't really see much in the way of Arkos until the dance, which was after Jaune sent all those letters to Saffron.**

* * *

 **Miscellaneous Notes:**

 **The sin of giving private loans in the Bible comes from Deuteronomy 23:19 – "You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest." The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book in the Torah, or Old Testament, and it is a second set of laws preached by Moses after delivering the first, more famous, set of laws, The Ten Commandments.**

 **The idea of a badass Catholic priest beating the crap out of people sounds farfetched, but it isn't. In medieval Europe, some priests were former knights or warriors who chose a life or religious solitude after the fighting days. Furthermore, Crusader orders like the Templars, and Knights Hospitaller, later the Knights of Saint John, were monastic orders whose members were all monks.**

…

 **Preview: Potential Future (Kind of…) – Blake**


End file.
